crossing the jordan

Opening Prayer: O Lord, help us to trust you, even when we are filled with fear.  Amen.

Scripture: Deuteronomy 27:1-8

Journal: What does crossing the Jordan look like in your life these days?  How is God asking you to trust him in the face of fear?  What does that look like?  Will you?

Reflection: In order to enter the Promised Land, and to receive the blessings and abundance thereof, the people of God first had to cross the Jordan River near Jericho.  Which, if you look at Joshua 3-4, was no small feat, since they were having to cross the river at flood stage.  The terrain was such that the river would be a raging torrent, but everything was dependent upon that crossing.  They must cross the Jordan in order to enter the land that God had promised them.  And only then could they set up the stones to remember how God had lead them, protected them, and provided for them.  So, in spite of their deepest fears, they did it.  They trusted God and, once again, he showed up.

I think, at times, we assume that the presence of fear indicates a lack of faith.  But nothing could be further from the truth.  Trusting God in the face of fear is what true faith is all about.  Trusting him in spite of our fears.  The key is not to eliminate fear, but to not let fear control and dominate us.  As a matter of fact, if fear was completely absent, would there really be any need to totally depend on God?  It’s just a part of the equation.

I was watching a movie once where the main character, a middle-aged woman, was facing a major decision in her life.  She was filled with fear and uncertainty.  What if she made the wrong choice?  What if she did the wrong thing?  What if she put her heart out there and it was broken?  So she sought out her father for counsel, a wise and wonderful man who she loved dearly and trusted fully.  And his advice was so wise: “You know, whatever you do, the fear might not go away.  You might just have to do it scared.”  Which gave her the strength and courage to set off in the direction her heart was truly leading her, in spite of the fear of how things could turn out.

Faith is the realization that we “might just have to do it scared,” whatever it may be.  We might just have to trust in God’s goodness and his love and step out into the unknown, trusting that he will meet us deeply and wonderfully in the midst of our fear.  We cannot let our fears stop us.  Oh sure, it might not look like we’d pictured it.  I’m sure the Israelites didn’t imagine that crossing a raging river was in their future, but it was.  It was their opportunity to trust, and then their opportunity to celebrate God’s deliverance by setting up stones to remind them of his goodness.  And we are called to do the same.

You’d think we would have learned by now.  You would think that after a lifetime of following God’s leading we would have learned that he is trustworthy.  I mean, how high does the stack of stones have to get before I realize that God really is good and really can be trusted?

Prayer

Closing Prayer: Remind us of your goodness, O Lord, that we might trust your heart and your love even when things look chaotic and out of control.  When we are afraid, O God, help us to trust in you.  Amen.