Putting My Feet In

"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, 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), the eaters 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 toward the Sea of Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. 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."

Joshua 3:14-17

I love reading familiar Scripture and seeing something for the first time, or more accurately gaining greater insight from God. I love the book of Joshua. I read it many, many times. As a history lover this book fits that desire to know what happen, but I also love it because it reveals so much about entering in to what God has for a personal Promised Land. 

Joshua 3:14-17 is the end of the chapter in which the Israelites are about to take their first, collective steps into the land promised to their father and mothers. A land promised to their forefather Abraham. The people gather up all they had, which couldn't have been too much since they needed to be able to pack it up and carry it with them as they wondered in the Wilderness. Side note - they couldn't bring in too much baggage. That just struck me. They were to follow the priests into the Jordan River and make their way across. 

The priests were to enter the river, carrying the Ark of the Covenant, and as their feet dipped in the brink of the water the water coming toward them stopped. Not near them, but far away. I wonder if it was too far for them to see the wall of water. Reason would tell me that it would have dried up for a ways downstream considering nothing was flowing into it. I guess that would make it possible for such a large group of people to pass through. 

I wonder this because it is one of the differences I notice about the Israelites' parents and grandparents in their crossing of the Red Sea. In Exodus 14 it states that the water was divided and that there was a wall of water on both the right and the left. Is it because seas and rivers differ in the way they flow? Rivers flow one way, but seas have tides that move in and out. Could that be why the Red Sea has walls on either side, and presumably within sight of the Israelites, and the Jordan is risen up in one very high heap far away? 

Another difference is Moses held a staff over the waters of the Red Sea and God divided the waters. In Joshua, we find that the priests have to entered the water before God divided it. There had to be at least four priests carrying the ark, one for each corner. However, it may have been too heavy for just four men, so maybe there were six or even more.  Why even wonder about how many priests there were? Well, it doesn't say when the first priest dipped in it says when the priests dipped in the brink the waters stopped. So did they all have to be in before it dried up? Or was it just as the first two entered that it dried up? 

The crossing of the two bodies of water have a lot of similarities but when looked at closely, I notice many differences. In one they were being pursued. In another they are entering in as the conquers. In one God shows them right before their eyes the walls of water and in the other, presumably, they don't see the heap of water at all. In both the land is dry. But did one take more faith than the other?

Back to those priests and their feet. They had to entered into the water of a overflowing river. God didn't divide it ahead of time. They had to step in. If it was all the priests who had to enter, imagine the faith the ones farthest in had to have to believe that once the last were in it would stop flowing. Or if it was just the first two, were the first two chosen because they exercised the most faith beforehand and that is why they were first? Either way these men had to be scared to enter an overflowing, probably fast moving, river and have a least mustard seed size faith that God would dry it up for them. The Israelites crossing the Red Sea were gripped by fear of the enemy behind them and no one had to touch water for their rescue to take place. This Joshua group of Israelites had an enemy waiting for them, and in order to press into the promise they had to get their feet wet, at least a handful of them did. 

In my own life, I look to God to provide Red Sea types of crossings. I want to stand there, maybe reach an arm out, and watch the walls of the sea in my life on either side as I move through the way He has created. But that miracle way was for when being pursued. If I want to enter into the promises of God I can't just stand there. I have to take my little mustard seed size faith and step into the waters. The end result is still the same. God still dries up the impossible way so that I can get across.  Next comes either the hurried steps of one being pursued or the hesitant steps of being hopeful as entering into a promise but also knowing there is an enemy and battles to fight up ahead. 

As scary as both are, once across the Red Sea the enemy was destroyed as the walls caved in and water flooded over them. They experienced immediate relief (not that the rest of their journey was easy because we know it wasn't.) Once across the Jordan River the waters start to flow and you have only a few choices: let fear drive you to re-enter the flooding waters and drown; let fear keep you stuck in that spot; or although afraid take the next step into the promise, and the next step, and the next, and the next. You get the point. 

I want to be like the priests who stepped in the raging water, came out on dry land with dry feet, and kept moving forward into the promise and a deeper relationship with God. 

Pearl in the Sand

Can I recommend a good read? I had to buy some books to fulfil one of those book club deals. One of the books I bought was Pearl in the Sand. It is a story of Rahab and Salmon (spelled Salmone in the book). I thought it would be a good book, at least I hoped it would be. I wasn't prepared for it to be more than just a simple historical fiction novel.

The book is very well written and the characters are very real. The story taught me a little bit that I didn't know about the history and culture of the Canaanites and Israelites. I was able to visualize the story taking place. I felt for the characters and enjoyed the triumph they experienced. Yet none of those things are why I am recommending the book.

The reason? It is full of nuggets of wisdom and personal revelation. There were plenty of times when I had to stop and talk to God about what I was learning. There were times that I had to stop and ask Him to forgive me. There were times when I had to stop and thank Him for how He loves me.

One nugget that I loved was a picture that Salmone made for Rahab and her pearl earring that was lost in the sand. I can't write about it here because well it's called Pearl in the Sand for a reason. One that I can share is actually about Joshua when he stood outside the walls of Jericho and the Commander of the Lord visited him.

"As he raised his eyes, he gasped with shock. A few paces in front of him stood a man with a drawn sword in his hand...Who was this man and what was he doing here? Joshua clenched his jaw and steeped forward.

'Are you for us or for our enemies?' Joshua asked....

'Neither,' he replied.

Joshua raised an eyebrow. Neither friend nor foe? Who was he then? The man's next words wiped every thought from Joshua's mind.

I am the commander of the army of the Lord,and as such I have now come.'

...'What message does my Lord have for His servant?' he asked.

'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.'

...Slowly, Joshua came to his knees. What did it mean? Why had God sent him this visitation? If God had sent him the commander of His own army, why had He not said that He was on the side of Israel?

Then it dawned on Joshua that God was not on Israel's side; He beckoned Israel to be on His side. Joshua couldn't claim God for himself or for his own interests the way the people around them used their idols. Rather the Lord claimed Joshua and His chosen people for Himself."

I skipped a lot, you will just have to read it for yourself. :)

Just like Joshua, we need to realize that God isn't on our side. We need to be on His. We tend to thank of God for us. Not that he isn't, but when we think that way we are focus. He needs to be the focus! I have to remember this all the time. I focus on me and how God loves me. (Once again, He does.) I focus on me and what God does for me. Me, me, me. But the commander of the army of the Lord was telling Joshua, and each of us, that it's about being on His side.

That is just one of the many lessons, words of wisdom, and thought provoking nuggets in the book. So if you want to read a good story, that has realistic characters, and nuggets in it then get Pearl in the Sand. (I so felt like an advertisement!)

Joshua 11

I find the next few chapters a bit hard to write about. There's a lot of which towns and cities were destroyed. But I will try to write about what I get out of them anyway.

In chapter 11 it begins with the king of Hazor hearing about how the Israelites have wiped out the five kings who came against Gibeonites, who had made a treaty, a deceptive treaty, but a treaty none the less. Joshua and the people wipe them out and then gone on to wipe out a bunch of other cities. Well the result is the same. Joshua hears that the king of Hazor is gathering some other kings to come and attack. God's response is, "don't worry about them. By this time tomorrow they will all be dead."

That is how it is for us. Satan continues to attack us as we are doing what God has asked us to do, posses the land or something that seems a little less major. Sometimes we don't know the attack is coming and other times we hear about it. Regardless if we know it's coming or not God says, "don't worry about it." He has already won the victory!

And of course the story goes on to say that they defeated the Hazor king and the others who came out with him. Then Joshua goes on to take the whole country. We don't need to just defeat satan when he attacks us, we can go on the offensive, like Joshua, and take the enemies territory for the Lord.

Joshua 10

It's been a whirlwind of late! Major changes are happening, moved out of my apartment, waiting to close on my new house. Emotional roller coaster ride as well, most having nothing to do with the moving thing. I know that my enemy has been at work and too often I have been focusing on him and not on my Savior. It is so easy to do. His voice is loud and sounds a lot like my own at times. I think that is why it so easy for him to deceive, because sometimes he repeats things we have said ourselves. God's still small voice sounds different! It sounds quiet yet powerful, but I know most times I don't listen. That's just an aside, there's Joshua 10. I actually read this quite awhile ago but haven't had time to post.

In chapter 9 the people of Gibeon deceive the Israelites into a treaty with them. Now, five kings from some powerful nations decide to attack Gibeon because they are alarmed by the treaty. It's in this chapter that we learn that the men of Gibeon are strong, seasoned warriors. I find that interesting. That even the strong must come to the realization of the extraordinary might and power of God and His people who listen and obey Him. Reminds me of "every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess" Philippians 2:5.

So these five kings join together and set out to attack Gibeon. Gibeon sends word to the Israelites and they have to come to their defense. This reminds me of Abraham and Ishmael. He had this child in his own strength and then had to deal with the ramifications it had with Sarah, Isaac, and of course Ishmael. The Israelites made a decision based on their own judgement and now they have to take care of it. That said, I am no better than Abraham or Joshua, I have made plenty of decisions based on my own understanding, my own limited knowledge and have had to deal with the consequences, sometimes over and over again. Maybe because when I have the enemy's neck under my feet I don't finish him off. You'll see what I mean later.

God tells Joshua that He has given him the victory! They march out to Gibeon, capture the enemy by surprise and the warriors are thrown into total confusion. The men ran and the Israelites chased them and killed them and God rained hailstones down on them and killed even more. Even when He gives us the battle plan and we are gaining the victory He shows up and proves who really is the Victor.

The five kings are found hiding in a cave and the Israelites roll a stone in front of the cave. They opened the cave and brought the kings out. Joshua had the field commanders come and place their feet on their necks. Then Joshua says something interesting, "don't hold back. Don't be timid. Be strong! Be confident! This is what God will do to all your enemies when you fight them." Then he kills them.

It is interesting to me because they are captured, having their necks squished and he is telling them to be strong, um this seems like a place of strength doesn't it? But then I think about how many times it seems like victory is right there and fear sets in? Then I shrink back and take my foot off the enemy's neck and he is up and running again. I don't take the finally kill shot.

This begins an attack on more people of the land. Joshua doesn't simply go home and revel in  the victory. He goes on and takes five cities and destroys them and for good measure one king who comes out to help and he gets wiped out as well. Then they go back to camp.

Here's the big thing I learned from this chapter, and there really is a lot, is that God uses every thing, even our bad decisions, to accomplish His will. They made a bad deal with Gibeon, but then when Gibeon needs rescuing God gives them the land of eleven cities, the five who came against Gibeon, the five they attack afterwards, and the one that comes out to help. A major victory! God can't be put in a box just because we back ourselves into a corner. He is God! His Will will be accomplished. In our weakness, our bad choices, quite frankly our sin, He will have the victory! He will be glorified!

Joshua 9

It has been almost a month since I last blogged! Life has been busy, crazy, and wonderful. I went house hunting, am under contract, packing to move out of the apartment but have to wait a few weeks to close, school, and soon getting seriously ready for Haiti! I have missed Joshua and started reading it again a few days ago. I had finished reading through the New Testament and decided to jump back into Joshua as my daily reading as well as for the blog.

The Israelites have destroyed Ai and everyone around them is scared of them, with good reason. So these neighbors of theirs, the people of Gibeon, decide they don't want to be wiped out by the Israelites. They come up with this plan, obviously a good one, to pretend that they are from far away and have traveled along way to make a covenant with them. They dress in rags, get out wine skins, and dry, old bread and set out for the 3 day journey to Gilgal where the Israelites are camping.

They come to Joshua and tell them they are from far away and want to be their servants. He asks them how he can know they aren't neighbors. So he was suspicious of them. They go through their whole story of their old, worn out stuff and Joshua and the leaders believe them. Here's the kicker, they don't ask God about it! They make a covenant with them!

As it turns out they find out that they've been lied to and the men go up against Gibeon and Joshua has to stay true to his word and delivers them from the Israelites. He does say they must be servants, woodcutters and water carriers for them.

So what does the chapter mean for me? I guess the first thing is that satan will do anything to deceive me, even look harmless. He wants to derail me from the plans and promises of God. The Israelites are supposed to possess all the land, that's God plan and promise, but they make this decision that means they don't get all of it.

Also, Joshua was suspicious of them. I need to be aware of when the Holy Spirit is telling me something isn't right, something is deceptive. I need to listen! And even if I think it sounds okay I NEED to ask God. I need to ask and listen!

Making decisions, good or bad ones, have long term affects. In the next chapter the Israelites have to come to Gibeon's rescue.

Joshua 8

I love that God gives another chance! In chapter 7 Joshua send a small group of men against Ai and they were defeated. It turned out that there was sin in the camp because of Achan. In the chapter it doesn't say that God told Joshua to take Ai, but He did say the land was theirs and they were to go in an posses it. Joshua and the people had just defeated Jericho and they were probably feeling pretty powerful and invincible. Ever felt like that? I have.

So they tried to take Ai with only a small portion of their forces. That doesn't work; Joshua grovels before the Lord; the Lord says "get up!"; tells Joshua there is sin in the camp; and Achan admits his sin and is stoned, burned, and buried. But, in chapter 8 God says "don't be timid and don't hesitate, take your men and Ai is yours." God tells Joshua to set an ambush. This time Joshua chooses thirty thousand seasoned men to set the ambush. In chapter 7 he send two to three thousand men total. These thirty thousand were just the ambush! I wonder how seasoned these men where. Before entering the Promised Land all the men of Joshua's age have died because they didn't believe. There hasn't been a lot of fighting other than Jericho, but these men are considered seasoned.

Then Joshua leads the rest of the men, all the rest of them, to Ai. They pretend to flee before the overly confident forces of Ai and led them away from the city. Then God tells Joshua to stretch out his javelin toward Ai and the ambush springs to action and wipes out the city. The men with Joshua attack the men of Ai and all of them are killed except the king, who is later hanged. Joshua did not lower the javelin until the city and all the people are destroyed. I think that means Joshua never fought. If he never lowered the javelin he couldn't have fought against the people of Ai.

When I think about this story I see some valuable truths. I see that God gives second chances.When He makes the plan then the enemy is defeated. I have go up against my enemies with the full strength of the Lord, not just the little bit of strength I may possess. And most importantly sometimes I don't even have to fight. Sometimes God asks me to do something crazy like hold up a javelin in the middle of a battle raging around me. I can just see it. It's kind of like a Hollywood movie where the hero is standing in the middle of the fight staring down the enemy and no one attacks him. Seriously, he just stands there and then one of them charges at the other and the battle is on. How many times have I seen that scene involving Mel Gibson? Maybe that is what this looked like, except Joshua never charges in he just holds the javelin.

Now that is not to say that I just get to stand there in all fights. Sometimes Joshua was right in the midst of the battle fighting along side the men, but in this case he did not fight. Sometimes God just puts me in the middle of the battlefield while angles or others fight the battle. How do I know when to just stand with my javelin and when to run the enemy through? Listen. God told Joshua to hold up the javelin. God will tell me when to just hold up my javelin.

After the battle is won Joshua builds the alter to the Lord, follows all the instructions of Moses, and then with all the people looking on reads all the instructions of Moses to them. When God has given me the victory I need to commemorate like Joshua did, built my own alter to the Lord. It is probably not going to be a stone alter, but it needs to be something. Then I need to spend time in Him and in His Word. The Lord gave the victory so the least I can do is acknowledge Him and spend time with Him in praise and thanksgiving.

Joshua 7

I have missed blogging. I have had a couple of very busy school weeks but it's break now so I have some time to read and post about Joshua. Interestingly right now The DailyAudioBible.com is going through Joshua so I get to hear it each day.

Right after the walls of Jericho fell down the Isreaelites fall under the holy curse. Joshua sends men against Ai and they have to flee. Joshua is devasted and falls before the Lord and asks why they weren't allowed to just settle on the other side of the Jordan. God says "get up!" Okay I added the exclamation point, but I bet that He said it that way. He informs Joshua that they have sinned and how to find out who it was.

I want to stop there because this is where I got the most out of the chapter. How many times have I felt the victory of the Lord just to end up running from the enemy and telling God "why did or didn't You...?" I think it's interesting that after Joshua has been made famous all over the land he sends out spies, again, and then sends only a few thousand men against the city of Ai. I wonder if Joshua was feeling invincible, prideful, and thought "I got this." I wonder if he talked to God about it all. The Bible doesn't say that he did. As an aside I am amazed at how some of the Old Testament people talked and listened to God so regularly. I wish I was at that point in my walk.

Joshua sent his small group of men up against a seemingly weak city and they had to run for their lives. Sometimes I forget who is the one who wins the victories in my life. It isn't me! It's the Lord and I wonder if Joshua did the same. He sent his spies, will he not learn about those spies, didn't talk to God about Ai, and sent only a small group of men against the city. I send out spies, don't talk to God, and go forth in my own strength and end up running for my life. I thought I could defeat the enemy I went up against.

Then I do a Joshua and fall down on my face and cry out to God asking Him why He didn't let me stay immature in my faith, why He asked me to step out in faith and take the land which He promised me. Then He says "get up and stop graveling! You have sinned." Yup, I have sinned. I have come short of the glory of the Lord over and over again and sometimes that sin results in a fleeing before my enemies. I may have never hidden gold or silver, or a robe, that must have been one nice robe, but I have taken hold of unclean things and tried to hide them from God, just like Achan did.

Thankfully, even though I have to face the consequences of my sin, I don't have to be stoned to death and then burned. But hopefully that part of me that needs to die will. As much as I don't like the consequences of my sin I hope that the Lord is gracious and what needs to die in me does. I don't like repeating the same mistakes. I don't want the selfishness, fear, covetness, etc. to continue in me. I want to deal with the root of my sin and have God tell me to not hesitate or be timid and to go back up against my city of Ai like He tells Joshua in chapter 8, but that's for next time.

Joshua 6

Most of us have known this story since we were children, the walls of Jericho come tumbling down. I love the story, love love it, but I thought what insight will I get to blog about. I guess this isn't really new insight for me or many others but I think it's important to remember.

God told Joshua "I have already given Jericho to you." Love that He starts with that! Then God proceeds to tell him to walk around the city for seven days. On days one through six they are to walk around one time and then head back to camp. The priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant and blow their horns, the front and rear guards say nothing. On the seventh day they walk around seven times but the priests only blow the horns on the seventh time and then Joshua commands the men to shout. As they shout the walls fall down.

Okay, first, how do you think the people of Jericho acted on the seventh day? I mean for six days these people had walked around the city, blowing on the trumpets and then going back to camp. But the seventh day they are quiet for six laps. I think the people of Jericho must have known today is the day. It's kind of like the calm before the storm.

The thing that I wanted to write about, though, is the walls of the city. I am no expert but I would imagine that the trumpet blowing each day weakened those walls. They walked all the way around and blow the trumpets so I wonder if the walls started showing cracks, maybe not on day one, but maybe by day three or four. If they did, I would think the people of Jericho started to notice, especially those like Rahab, who lived on the outer wall.

How about all those feet marching around as well. Would those feet have affected the walls, maybe not on their own but coupled with the trumpets blowing. I wonder if on day seven each silent pass around the city made the cracks larger. Then the trumpets start up again as they begin the seventh pass by and those walls were probably moving by now. Then the thunder-clap shout! That shout was the finally straw for those walls. They crumbled down and the Israelites went in a killed everything, except Rahab and her family.

Sometimes God asks me to do strange things. Sometimes He asks me to do them after He has already promised the victory. They seem strange and ineffective, but they may just be like those daily trumpet blarings and feet stompings. Maybe they are cracking the walls. Sometimes He asks me to do them for along time. I think "why do I still have to do this?" Maybe because each step, each trumpet blare, each whatever thing He asks me to do is preparing the wall to crumble. I can't wait until the final time around and God says "shout!" I need to trust Him when He asks me to do the strange, the unlikely, the unpopular, maybe even the crazy thing. He has a reason. He has a purpose.

I know the Israelites get a bad rap from Christians, and not that they shouldn't, but we can learn so much from the lessons God taught them. What they go through in a physical sense we go through in a spiritual one. So I like those Israelites, because it gives me hope to know that as much as they messed up they were God's chosen people and He always kept His promises to them. He chose me and I certainly mess up a lot, but He always keeps His promises to me. Looking forward to doing some crazy things, because I believe He's gonna make some walls come down!

Joshua 5

Okay, so this is an interesting chapter, especially for a girl to write about but here goes. The chapter starts with how the Amorite kings and the Canaanite kings heard about how God stopped the Jordan River and the Israelites had crossed over. It says their hearts sank and they were drained of courage just thinking about the People of God.

First, that is how our enemies, demons, should feel about the People of God today. They should lose heart and realize that the power of God is in us and they will be defeated. I think ultimately, deep down in their devil hearts they know they are defeated. BUT the People of God don't act like it so why should they? I know that I have spent more time cowering from the enemy then standing in the strength of the Lord and declaring His victory over them. The interesting thing is the Israelites didn't really do anything that should make the enemy fear them. What they did do was listen and obey. Yup, that simple! Oh, if I could just do that I know the enemy would lose heart and be drained of courage.

Second, is the bizarre timing of the circumcision. That is the best part to me, not the circumcision, but the timing. They cross over into enemy territory and God says circumcise everyone. Not sure if Joshua raised an eyebrow or not because the Bible just says that he did it. I would have, no I take that back I have. God leads me into the Promised Land, the enemy is disheartened to know I'm there because of the power of God, and He decides now is the time to circumcise something from my life. But God that leaves me defenseless!

Remember how Jacob's sons trick the guy who raped their sister, into getting circumcised? Then they went in while he and his men were healing and they killed them? Exactly! If the Ammorites and Canaanites knew that was the condition of the Israelites they could have wiped them out! When God decides to circumcise things from my life I am left vulnerable, but the enemy doesn't attack. But that doesn't seem to be how God works. He knows I am completely vulnerable. He knows an assault will likely take me out. But once I have healed from His cutting that thing out on my life then I am stronger in Him. Then the assault may come but God has prepared me for it.

Well, the Ammorites and Canaanites didn't attack. They were either too scared of God or didn't know about theIsraelites' condition. I doubt they didn't know about it. I mean how did they know about the Jordan River? Someone told them. Someone is watching the Israelites, maybe lots of someones. I am sure there were someones who lived in Gilgal who had fled from the Israelites. I'm sure the land there was good for camping. It obviously had a good food source since they started eating the food of the land and God no longer provided the manna. I'm sure they knew, so that means they didn't attack because of their fear of the God of the Israelites. The same God who won't let the enemy attack us except in His perfect timing.

So I must be willing to listen, obey, cross into the Promised Land, and obey when God says to cut something out of my life. He has already prepared the way and He knows the enemy will not be able to attack. I just have to trust Him.

Joshua 4

As I began to read this chapter the message of it was obvious to me, but that obvious doesn't always mean that I do it. The Lord told Joshua to send 12 men, one from each tribe, to go to the middle of the river and bring a stone with them to be set up as a memorial. I guess the new thing that I saw this time was that the stones came from the middle.

Right in the middle, not that I know exactly where that is most of the time, I am to carry out "stones" as a memorial. Heart lessons, journal entries, letters, photographs, whatever I can to be set up as a memorial to God's faithfulness. I find it interesting that these were not just itty bitty stones. They were huge stones. They were told to carry them on their shoulder. They had to be big in order to create the memorial that would stand for all the years that it stood. Sometimes the things I have to carry out of the middle of our Jordan aren't easy to carry. They may hurt my heart to carry them. They may be seen by others as nothing but an ugly rock. But I am to carry them. I am to set them up not as reminders of what a hard time I experienced, but as reminder of God's strength.

"This was so that everybody on earth would recognize how strong God's rescuing hand is and so that you would hold God in solemn reverence always." Joshua 4:24. Everybody! Even those that don't believe in Him. These people will recognize the strength of God's hand. I think about Garren and how much God's hand is at work in the middle of his Jordan. Garren will carry out his stones and set them up so everyone will see how God saved him. I believe that and it makes me cry with sadness that he is in his Jordan and with joy that God is rescuing and His hand will be seen.

The stones are not just for everyone else to see God's hand, but for me to hold God in solemn reverence. For me to realize my limits and His unlimited grace, mercy, strength, etc. I truly could go on and on. How sad to have gone through the Jordan, been brought out with dry feet on the other side and not to put God in the proper place in my life, revered above all else.

So I thought this chapter's message was obvious and the blog would be very brief. Funny how as I began to write God taught me more. This is one thing I love about God. When I think I know, He reveals how much I don't.

Joshua 3

The Jordan River. Joshua leads the people to the river, a river that is overflowing because of the harvest season. Joshua tells the people to make sure they follow the Chest of God and that they will see clearly. He tells them that this is a road that they have never taken. Interesting statement considering all of them knew they had never been there before.

God is leading me to places that I have never been. I have to follow the Lord and keep my eyes on Him. If I take my eyes off of Him I won't know where to go. I might turn to the left or to the right. Remember God warned Joshua not to turn either left or right. He told him to take the Law with him and meditate on it day and night. God is still calling us to take the Word with us, to meditate on it day and night. In the last few months I have been drawn to God's Word more than I ever have in my whole life. Is it because He is taken me to one of those new places? I think so. It is a place I long to go to.

Joshua orders the priests to step into that overflowing river. He tells the people that when they do it, that the flow of the river will stop and it will heap up in a pile. And it even heaped up a far way off. I can't even imagine what that looks like. Now I've seen The Ten Commandments and The Prince of Egypt, but I don't think these movies do justice to what it must have looked like. (I know that was the Red Sea in those movies too.)

What I think is the most amazing thing is that they did it. They stepped into the river. The Bible doesn't say they looked cross-eyed at Joshua. It doesn't say that they asked, "are you sure?". I think I would have, um I take that back I have done just that with God. The Bible says that the people left their tents, followed the priests, and crossed over, and not one foot got wet. Not one foot. Not even the priests who stepped into the water? Did they put their feet into the water and even before it hit the sand underneath it was dry? I never thought about that before, but it says it. It says not one wet foot.

I guess the one things that really strikes me is that the Bible says that they crossed facing Jericho. The challenge they had to face was directly in front of them. I know I am suppose to keep my eyes on God. I am suppose to step into the water when He tells me to. It will either dry up like in did for Joshua and the Israelites or maybe I'll be able to walk on it like Peter. But even as I do all that, I need to realize that the challenge, the walled city is still there. The strongholds He tells me to go up against are waiting on the other side.

I would like to think that if I had the faith to step into the Jordan then the Jericho on the other side would just be gone. I tend to think if I obey, then God might take away the Jericho that He has called me to face. He can, He might even.  He has asked me to cross the Jordan facing the Jericho and it will still be there when I get across. It's not a "see, I did it! So the impenetrable city can go away now, God." He is asking me to not only trust Him with the crossing of the Jordan, but to trust Him that the walls will be coming down.

So I think God is calling me to be putting my feet into some water, but they will be dry once on the other side.

Joshua 2

Joshua sends spies into the land, secretly. Secretly. I think about the fact that Joshua was one of the original spies that Moses sent into Canaan. He saw the giants and he said that they could take them. Now it's his turn to be the leader and he sends in spies. Secretly.

I wonder two different things about the secret spies. First, I wonder if he sent them secretly because he didn't want the people to know the information that they would bring back. I imagine back when Moses sent the spies everyone knew about it. Everyone waited for their return and what they would say. I wonder if Joshua sent them secretly to avoid the same thing happening again.

Secondly, I wonder if he's a lot like me. I wonder if he heard God's promises, starting over-thinking, and set out feelers to see what would happen. So guilty of that! I mean, he had been in the land. Yes, it was 40 years ago, but he had been the one who said "let's roll!" Was this a lack of faith moment for Joshua?

Like I said, I think a thing to death! I know God has spoken to me and initially I am gunho. Then I start to think. I start to play out scenarios in my mind. I start deciding what they other person/people are thinking. I start planning their responses and mine. I get it so twisted and then the fear sets in and I don't move. I don't move! I sit along the Jordan, watching my promise land and wishing I was in it.

Yesterday I put words to something I thought God was asking me to do. I told someone else. She listened and didn't respond with, "are you nuts! You are so not able to do that." Today, sick at home with a stomach bug (ohs for me are allowed), I have had plenty of time to think. I am have almost talked myself back out of it. Then I decided to stop listening to me and focus on God. I talked to Him instead.

Then I started telling Him about a few other faith steps that I want to make and how I need to hear Him instead of my thoughts or the devils words. I have been sitting looking at those promise lands for awhile now. That made a huge difference. Putting the focus off of me and onto Him always does. Then I opened up my Bible and read Joshua 2. I thought what will I blog about. I planned to mention the spies and talk about Rahab, but I guess I needed to focus on the spies.

The funny things about Joshua's secret spies, is they came back and said, "the land is ours!"

Joshua 1

I was taking a walk with my Riley Girl and wondering what I would read next. I don't have any new books or anything old that jumps out at me. Then I thought about Joshua and how much I love this book of the Bible. I like history and I like reading about it. I love the man Joshua. His unhesitant faith amazes me. I am reading through the New Testament in my morning reading and listening to the Daily Audio Bible in the evenings. I am so not auditory so listening to it is good for me because I have to pay attention or I will miss something. Honestly, I have to replay almost daily. Now I am taking on Joshua as well. I am no Bible scholar and may get things wrong along the way, but I'm going to give Joshua a try.

Joshua 1. The Message
The first thing that strikes me is God tells Joshua that Moses is dead and to get moving! One I think Joshua knew Moses was dead, but I don't think that is the point. Sometimes things we love die, good things, and we just kind of sit and sorrow over it. There is a time to sorrow, but we have to get going afterwards. My mom told me to let the death, sadness, dissappointment, whatever last 3 days and on the third day rise up like Jesus did. I almost laugh everytime this happens. I let myself have my "Friday" and "Saturday" but by "Sunday" I am able to rise up and move on. I think God was doing this with Joshua.

The next thing He says after telling him Moses is dead is "get going!" God had a plan, a job, a mission for Joshua and he needed to be at it. He had people to lead, rivers to cross, walls to walk around, giants to conquer.  God reminds him of the promise of the land, tells him everywhere his feet go is theirs!

Next God tells him that He will be with him. He won't give up on him. God knows that Joshua will make mistakes. One mistake I think God knows Joshua can make is being afraid, feeling weak, losing courage. He tells him to be strong and courageous. I know for me the areas I have trouble in, being still, having fear, God speaks to me about often. He tells me to be still to have no fear. He knows what I need to hear, the areas I have weakness in and He reminds me He is with me always.

God also tells him to take the commands with him that Moses wrote down. To stay on track, not to look left or right. To mediate on them, day and night, to put them into practice. Then you'll get where you are going, then you will succeed. It is easy to hear the promises of God and start running toward them without a second thought, but when  the struggles come and they will it is hard to keep on if I haven't spend time with God, in His word. I need to read, ponder, pray, and listen in order to move forward. Often I read some thing, and think "what did I just read?" I need to reread, to spend some time thinking deeply, giving it my full attention. I need to do that with the Word. Then I will get where God has told me to go; then I will succeed at what He has for me.

Once again God tells Joshua to be strong and have courage. Don't be timid! Seriously, that is not a word I would use to describe Joshua, me? yes, Joshau? no. But God told him to not be timid, so I guess he was. Once again God reassures him that He is with him every step of the way.

Joshua then goes to the men of Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh and tells them to go with them across the river and to help their brothers to possess the land. I never really thought much about this, but he tells them to lead the others. He tells them to help their brothers until they find their place of rest and then they can go back to their land. Those who go before us, who have received God's promises have a job still to do. They are meant to lead those who are still on their promise land journey. They are meant to help them, stay with them until they have found their place of rest. Then they may go back and enjoy what God has given them.

In some ways I am expected to lead others who are on the path behind me. Now I have not reached my promised land so I also need to follow others, accept their help, look for them and to them. They aren't God, so I'm not replacing Him or saying that all I need to do is blindly follow, but I need to follow the ones God has put in my path.

These men responded to Joshua and said they would follow every command he gave, they even promised death to the one who wouldn't. Then they told Joshua to be strong and courageous. These men knew the man they were following. They knew he was obedient to God. I am sure they heard all about him and how he and Caleb believed when the other spies didn't. They knew he would be faithful to God, but they also knew he needed their encoragement.

I want to be more like Joshua. I want to hear God and obey, without hestitation. I want to lsisten when God promises to be with me and know it in my very being. I want to know I have week areas, but to know God knows them too and he will keep strengthing me to get going inspite of them. I want to lead who God tells me to and listen as they encourage me.

I am excited to read this book of the Bible and mediate on it and write about it. I pray the Holy Spirit will reveal more truth to me then I have ever seen before. I pray that I will be open and honest and share it. I want to be a "Yes, Lord" woman who walks in faith!