Stepping Into the River
Full disclosure: I don't always listen to every word out of the pastor's mouth. I'm sorry. More often than not, I find myself reading the entire chapter instead of just the verses being preached. I did it two weeks ago when Pastor Dusty spoke on Rahab, and I did it again last week when Pastor Buren preached about crossing the Jordan.
There's a fascinating verse in Joshua 3:13:
"As soon as the priests carrying the ark of ADONAI, the Lord of all the earth, put the soles of their feet in the water of the Jordan, the water of the Jordan will be cut off upstream and stand piled up like an embankment."
Read that again and notice what it does not say. It doesn't say the Lord will first cause the flooded river to recede so they can cross safely. It says that after the priests stepped into the flooding river, then the waters would be cut off and stand up like an embankment.
How often do we wait for God to perform a miracle before we're willing to move forward? Yet here, trust came first. The step preceded the miracle. That'll preach.
But let me take it one step further.
Notice who stepped out first: the priests.
Hebrews 4:14–16 tells us:
"Therefore, since we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold firmly to what we profess..."
Sometimes the thought of stepping out feels overwhelming. But what if I told you that Jesus has already been there? What if the situation you're stepping into isn't unknown territory at all, but ground your Savior has already walked through? You're not entering a circumstance God has yet to see; you're stepping into something He has already overcome.
Let's bring this down to earth.
Every week, pastors, priests, bishops, and church leaders step into the flood as they prepare messages that point people toward life and salvation (1 Timothy 4:16). Elders and deacons step into the flood through prayer, carrying before God the needs of the people entrusted to their care.
Maybe you're thinking, "Well, I don't have any of those titles."
Dear brother or sister, titles in the church exist for order, responsibility, and unity. Scripture recognizes different callings and functions within the body (Acts 6:3–5). But in the Kingdom, our primary identity isn't found in a title.
Are you aware of God's work in your life? Do you recognize Jesus as your Savior? Do you move through your day conscious of His presence?
Then your titles are Saint. Son. Daughter. Friend.
And as such, you have the opportunity to step into the flooded river of someone else's life.
There are people who don't yet know that God's love is for them. They look at their past and see failure. They see discouragement. Shame. Hopelessness. Their lives feel flooded, and they wonder if the waters will ever recede.
The church gathers in a building where we're strengthened by God's Word and encouraged through ministry. But as citizens of the Kingdom, we leave those walls and walk into the messy waters of people's lives. And when we do, the waters begin to part. What once seemed overwhelming is pushed back, and suddenly they can see.
They see hope.
They see a future.
They see beauty rising from ashes (Isaiah 61:3).
Isaiah 59:19 declares:
"When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him."
What—or who—is that standard?
You are.
You are the standard God raises in someone's darkness. You are the voice of grace, the bearer of truth, the vessel through which His light pushes back the flood of fear, shame, and despair. Through your words, your presence, your prayers, and your obedience, others can see the goodness of God.
So go, great priest.
Step into the river.
And help set the captives free.
Peace,
Ron Walters
