It’s Your Move

What is God asking of you that sounds too big?  Too dangerous?  Too risky?  Too stretching?

Is He wanting you to step out of your comfort zone, leaving you to rely solely on Him?  Does the thought of that kind of blind faith make you want to run as far in the other direction as possible?

If you are like me, those Divine requests spotlight just how inadequate and ill-equipped we really are.

Friends… you’re in some good company.

The Israelites felt it, too.  If you remember, they had been on their freedom march from slavery in Egypt and had been camping on the banks of the Jordan River.  God told Joshua to gear up because they had to cross it as the next step in getting closer to their Promised Land.

But there was one catch – isn’t there always?

No one in their right mind would dare to cross the river because it was… uncrossable.  Why? Because it was springtime which meant the Jordan was at flood level.

The river was literally overflowing its banks with waters flowing at a furious pace.

Isn’t God funny?  I enjoy His sense of humor.  I mean, seriously!

He was testing their level of faith and obedience on an epic scale.  One false move – one slip of the foot – and someone would be swept away to certain death.

God wanted to see what they’d do.

He was prepared to deliver them into the land of milk and honey, but He wanted the Israelites to step up and trust Him.

And the did.

“AND AS SOON AS the priests who carry the ark of the Lord – the Lord of all the earth – set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”  Joshua 3:13 (emphasis mine)

They rose to the occasion.  When it looked too faith-stretching, they trusted anyway and took that step.

Do you see the order of events?  As soon as they obeyed… God provided a way.  As soon as the priest’s feet touched the water’s edge, the waters parted and they crossed on dry ground.

This really rocks my world.

You see, a precedent has been set.  This scripture demonstrates that when God asks something of us… something that pulls us from our “happy places“… He will clear the path.

But here’s the clincher.  There will be times that WE need to make the first move.  Times WE are supposed to take that first step of faith before God will clear the path for us.

So go ahead…

• Sign up for the class so you can be trained in that area
• Schedule that meeting and move forward with your plan
• Call the ministry leader and agree to teach that class or head up that committee
• Say “yes” to the invitation
• Agree to take on that project

Look.  Sometimes we need to move first.  Why? Because it shows God that we are ready and committed to what He’s calling us to do.  And God is always searching for that willing heart.

I’ve heard it said that faith is reason grown courageous.

Come on friends… it’s your move.

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