Fear and dismay
in the face of man, is the death nil
of all spiritual vigor. "If
thou faint in the day of adversity,
thy strength is small."
This second trip to the banks of the
Promised Land must have been a little
disconcerting for Joshua. After
all, he comprised a full 50% of the
survivors of his generation from the
fiasco here at Kadesh forty years
prior. Added to that was the
death of his mentor, his untested
leadership, the fickle loyalty of his
followers, a river at flood stage, and
the ominous city of Jericho on the
horizon. The memory of failure
and the ten traitor spies, albeit
distant, must surely have taunted him
as well. The sum of all fears is a
SAVIOR-less situation; yet for many
who know this, there is a thin Jordon
separating the familiar from the
fearful. We are not ignorant of
GOD'S commands, just apprehensive.
We know that the apex of HIS will lies
across the river, but the water is
swift, deep, formidable ... and if
honest, frightening.
This man of GOD however, met with the
GOD of men, and came away with the
"victuals"
needful for obedience.
"... Prepare
you victuals; for within three days ye
shall pass over this Jordan ..." Joshua
in turn fed the people with the same
pottage of courage, in preparation to
do what GOD had commanded.
"This book of
the law shall not depart out of thy
mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein
day and night, that thou mayest
observe to do according to all that is
written therein: for then thou shalt
make thy way prosperous, and then thou
shalt have good success."
Many a child of GOD find themselves on
the wrong side of the river in a self
imposed famine of Heaven's
"victuals".
"... Children, have ye any meat?
They answered HIM, No."
How pitiful, the vain attempts
of GOD'S people to obey GOD apart from
the nutrients of new life found
nowhere, save HIS Word.
"When ye are
come to the brink of the water of
Jordan, ye shall stand still in
Jordan." Oh, the
blessedness of impossibility!
Step into the water and watch as all
of Heaven and Earth move at HIS
command to accomplish HIS will.
And never forget that at the flood
stage of trial, HE commands all the
dams and locks upstream.
"... for the LORD thy GOD is with
thee whithersoever thou goest."