‘Got Any Rivers?’
- Jun 27, 2025
- 6 min read
The children of Israel were being prepared to finally occupy the Promised Land. They relearned practices of consecration, obedience and faithful living before God.
Jesus urges us to do the same.
Hans Urs Von Balthasar said: “Who we are is God’s gift to us, who we become is our gift to God.”
Israel is facing a most momentous experience, which literally sets the scene for the rest of their lives.
Psalm 118 records two major scenes in the life of Israel: crossing the Red Sea and crossing the Jordan.
So much time had been lost because the Israelites didn’t allow God full access to all their lives, they were disobedient and had rejected God’s reign. Maybe they’d also forgotten that they were living under a promise about their future.
But now they are on the verge of claiming what they had been brought out of Egypt for. But ahead is an ‘uncrossable river!’
We’re at a 'water's edge moment!'
While they are worshipping, they must wait for the third day. They’d waited 40 years, another 3 days wouldn’t hurt, would it?
It’s common for God to ask His people to wait patiently and some of you have been waiting for a long time.
Psalm 27:14 says, "Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD."
Waiting is the hardest part of trusting. We’ve heard it said to us, "don’t just stand there, do something." Actually, God will often say to us: 'Don’t just do something, stand there and WAIT!'
Everything had built up to this, and soon the Israelites would stand on the opposite shores of the Jordan. God promised this day.
As they waited, I’m sure they had a growing awareness of the human impossibility of what God was calling them to do. There's an uncrossable river (or so they thought!).
The river was in full flood (see v15). They also knew there were “giants” on the other side.
But, the river Jordan is more than a minor obstacle. It represents their lack of faith in years gone by: every rebellious word, and every hesitation. Its flooding waters, now formed an impenetrable barrier to the future they had hoped for!
We said last week they were commanded to ‘consecrate themselves.’ This had to happen before anything else.
This story illustrates the principle of ‘before.’ The principle of ‘before’ is demonstrated in everyday life. Before this can happen, this needs to happen!
There is practice before perfection, preparation before completion, battles before victory, and struggles before celebration.
The story is told of a letter that was found in a baking powder tin tied to the handle of an old pump that offered the only hope of drinking water on a very long and seldom-used trail across the Amargosa Desert on the California-Nevada border in America:
The letter said:
"This pump is all right as of June 1932. I put a new sucker washer into it and it ought to last five years. But the washer dries out and the pump has got to be primed. Under the white rock I buried a bottle of water, out of the sun and cork end up. There's enough water in it to prime the pump, but not if you drink some first. Pour about one fourth and let her soak to wet the leather. Then pour in the rest medium fast and pump like crazy. You'll get water. The well has never run dry. Have faith. When you get watered up, fill the bottle and put it back like you found it for the next feller."
P.S. “Don't go drinking up the water first. Prime the pump with it and you'll get all you can hold."
We may feel like lonely travellers, shuffling down that parched desert trail in need of refreshment to carry on! There are steps one has to make before we can move on, or indeed arrive!
Colossians 3:2 says, "Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ - that's where the action is. See things from his perspective."
Joshua 3 reminds us that God’s work must be done God’s way in order to receive God’s blessing. It’s not just getting across the river that matters. It must be done in such a way that God receives the glory. God will bless anyone who does His work His way.
God invites us to renewal, redirection and fresh opportunities to serve in obedience to His will.
I’m so aware of how easy it is to paint a bleak picture of our tomorrows. The bills need to be paid, the jobs to be done, that appointment to be made. All can seem impossible. Yet there can be an immeasurable power to get through into tomorrow, as indeed our story shows!
Joshua 3:14: “So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them.”
We’re at a 'water's edge moment!'
You’ve been waiting, even pleading with the Lord saying, "make a way and I’ll start walking". But, He says, “No. You start walking and I’ll make a way!”
When the time is right! God reveals to us His purpose, then says, “Now it’s your move.” And at that moment, everything hinges upon our obedience.
Philip Yancey said, “Faith means believing in advance what only makes sense in reverse.”
The priests and the Ark must go before the community, and must lead the way to guide them and to give them direction (v17).
Can I say, no matter where you are, it’s time to move out and to trust God and follow Him. It’s essential we follow Him! Why? Well, verse 4 tells us, "you have not been this way before."
God needed to be in front. How many times have our desires kept God somewhere other than in front? As long as the Israelites keep their eyes on the priests and follow the Ark, they will know which way to go.
If you have a Sat Nav’ in your car, or on your phone, you don’t have to bother about directions. No matter how many times we miss the way, a soft voice simply states, “Recalculating…” I wonder if we need to look to God again today and come close to Him and hear His call, “Recalculating…”
They trusted God in the gap to cross the uncrossable!
It’s been estimated that 2 million people had to cross over a swollen river, which was over a mile wide and more than 50 feet deep.
The Ark was the first in the gap, and the last out of the gap. As soon as the priests stepped in the water the river stopped 20 miles upstream and the people walked across on dry ground. What a miracle of grace!
Alan Redpath says, “The floods, the opposition of principalities and powers to the child of God, can never get past what our triumphant Lord Jesus conquered…Get a clear view of Him who can deal with the impossibility of your life before you have reached it.”
Got any rivers you think are uncrossable?
Got any mountains you can’t tunnel through?
God specializes in things thought impossible –
He does the things others cannot do.
It’s been said that faith is not believing in spite of evidence, but obeying in spite of consequence. Faith isn’t passive, but an active force.
I like what Ray Pritchard said: "Faith is belief plus unbelief and acting on the belief part."
Every person saw and passed the Ark. They saw the presence of the Lord.
Do you know, God is with us in the gaps in our lives, too? We may not see it because our focus shifts to other things, but God has more in store for us than we can ever ask for, think, or imagine. As long as God is IN it, HIS blessing will be ON it!
The journey of faith will require confidence in our Father God whom we cannot see, and a deep hope in the promises we cannot always feel.
We’re now at the 'water's edge moment!' Crossing the uncrossable!
A new chapter is about to begin! Before them, a land flowing with good things, greater than they could have dreamt or imagined. Now it is theirs by God's grace and His steadfast promise.
Their previous knowledge, or their 40 years of dreams would not be good enough; everything they had experienced in the past would not be good enough. This time a new chapter awaits!
'Got any rivers?'
John Calvin put it this way: “How graciously Christ pours out his grace, when he finds the vessel of faith open.”
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