PARTING THE RED SEA JORDAN

Joshua 3:14-17
14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them.
15 Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.

If you get the chance later this spring, stand near a river. Listen to the sounds of the rushing water. See how the current
carries along leaves, sticks, and branches. Then look at the depth and appreciate the power of the water.

Now imagine the water splitting apart, creating a path from the riverbank you're standing on to the other side. Picture yourself walking across the river on dry ground.

That's what happened when the Israelites crossed over the Jordan River (Joshua 3:14-17). It was flood season and the water was very high. At other times in the year, the water was so low that it could be crossed with little effort. But at this particular time, it took a miracle.

The movie's not out yet, but the miracle in Joshua 3 is just as spectacular as Moses' parting of the Red Sea. When I first read this story about Joshua and the Israelites, I had a hard time appreciating its significance. In the Old Testament, God did all kinds of magnificent things. It was a different time, a different place, right? So why should the parting of the Jordan River mean anything to me? God did for His people what they could not do for themselves.

The Israelites couldn't cross the Jordan on their own, so He parted it for them. We can't cross "the Jordan" on our own either. Without God, we can't fully forgive. Without God, we can't truly love. And without God, there is no heaven and no hope for mercy. Bottom line, God has always and will always be doing for His people what they can't do on their own.

Sometimes we can be so proud. We think we know so much and can do so much on our own. Knowledge can make us conceited. But without God, we would cease to exist. The very air we breathe is a gift from Him.

God is still performing miracles today. He may not be parting oceans and rivers (although He can if He chooses), but He is
doing wonders in my life that I know I can't do on my own. --Allison Stevens

DESTINATION POINTS

* What has God done for me that I couldn't have done on my own?
* How do I acknowledge the things God does for me that I can't do on my own?
* In what ways have I neglected to give Him credit for what He does for me?

LINKS:
Knowing God Through Exodus
http://www.discoveryseries.org/sb112

bottom line: God alone can help us cross life's rough waters.

soul journey