JULY 6, Joshua 3:8, 12-17

In order to reach the Promised Land, the people of Israel had to cross the River Jordan. At this time of the year, the River Jordan was overflowing its banks. Melting snow from the nearby mountains was continuously filling it. Imagine how full and fast-flowing the river was! It must have been a scary sight with the roaring and angry torrents sweeping by! Yet, God purposely chose this very time for them to cross the River Jordan.

God promised to be with His people as long as they trusted and obeyed Him. Here was a test of their faith. God commanded that the priests carry the Ark of the Covenant, step into River Jordan, walk to the centre and stand still. As for the rest of the people, they must start to move as soon as they spot the Ark and the priests and follow at a distance of about 1 km. They had to keep their eyes on the Ark at ALL times, otherwise, they would lose their way. As soon as the Levite priests stepped into the waters, the upstream waters stopped flowing, thus forming a wall of water! The people, with their cattle and baggage, crossed on dry ground and went past the priests. How can that be done? Not by man’s ability, but by God’s power!

Isn’t our God wonderful? He takes care of everything. He told them exactly what to do and all they had to do was to simply trust and obey. Can you imagine what could have happened to them if they had doubted God?

          Fill in the blanks and find out what pleases God:

          1. “For we walk by __________ , not by sight.”  (2 Corinthians 5:7)

          2. “Thy __________ hath made thee whole.”  (Matthew 9:22)

          3. “But without __________ it is impossible to please Him.”  (Hebrews 11:6)

Thought: Faith means to believe God’s Word without question.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, give me faith that I may ever love and obey You. Remove every doubt from me. I know it is not easy to simply follow for I tend to want to stray. So please have mercy on me! In Jesus’ name I pray – Amen.