Anyone else feel like the year 2016 has come in like a flood? That is why I am only now that it is almost February posting my first blog of the year. This week I am finally catching my breath. Within the last month family members have gone to college, moved out of the continental US, had major surgery, throw in a week of babysitting my little princesses in California and you have my month. Looking back at January, I would say that this month has been a trial of faith. Believing that God would be faithful and come through for nearly every member of my immediate and extended family through some serious trials has been a challenge. I am here to report- God is faithful!
Several times since the beginning of the year I have been reminded that faith often requires action on our part to reveal our belief.
Noah had to build an ark when he had never seen a flood.
Moses had to make proclamations before the Pharaoh about all the mighty works God was going to do- BEFORE God had done any.
He also had to stretch out his hand to part the sea, strike rocks for water and do a lot of other strange things simply believing God was going to do what He said He would do.
The one that keeps running through my head is Joshua and the people at the Jordan River. God told Joshua the following:
Joshua 3:13 And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.” 14 So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, 15 and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), 16 the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. 17 Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.
I just keep thinking about those priests carrying the ark. God had not told them personally to stand in the river that was overflowing its banks. They were getting these instructions second-hand through Joshua, who frankly did not have the track record of the previous leader, Moses. Most of the actions of Moses had been taken at his own expense. He heard God; he did it, and he faced the consequences if it was not done properly. Now here is the new guy asking you to step in the flood waters carrying a heavy wooden box that if not handled properly would mean sudden divine destruction. Holding the ark above water was going to require some fancy synchronized swimming if Joshua didn’t have the details right! I think I might prefer to carry the back of the box, not be the guy in front, just for today…
From this point on the actions of God through His people were going to require THEIR involvement. They were going to have to take the land. Their obedience was going to lead to defeat or victory. It was not going to be dependent on whether or not Moses held his hands up while they fought, but rather on whether Achan was stealing and lying within the camp. Joshua wasn’t going to walk up to the walls of Jericho and hit them with his stick to break rocks; the people were going to have to march around the city. No doubt they were getting stuff dumped on their heads; I doubt it was slushies.
The message I have been getting is to stop waiting for some spiritual leader to believe God for great things. It’s time to believe God for ourselves. 2016 is the year to pick up the poles of the ark and step out into the flood waters! Accept the risk of believing God to act as a result of our obedience. Know that the new territory God wants us to take this year may require overcoming opposition. However, remember Ephesians 2:10. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
God has it all ready! Let’s show up and step out into the flood of 2016.