He has Spoken, Now Step

In the Scripture, faith seems to be demonstrated, not by God moving first. In all cases where faith is required he has already made clear declarations about what he will do. Or he has already given direction. If we want to call those his first steps, we can. Faith seems to be demonstrated by the decision to step out on what he has directed. We can see from OT to NT he met everyone who moved confidently in what he had spoken.

Israel had an opportunity to teach us how to trust God. God promised their ancestors some amazing blessings. These promises would be passed from generation to generation. Even their captivity was foretold to those who were directly given the promises passed down. Israel was set up to believe everything God had spoken. Then to put a cherry on top, his delivery from captivity came with the proof that God could be trusted. He showed he is more powerful than any other god. He laid waste to all that Egypt put their faith in. Yet, sadly the generation who saw this would not walk by faith. That lack of faith would lead to forty years of wandering in the wilderness. That forty years would allow God to remove those in Israel who defied his direction, who lacked faith. Those who wandered, put themselves in that circumstance. They refused to move in faith. God made promises; God proved his power; God gave them miraculous provision. And the wandering group would not trust him. In Joshua, the 40 years is at its end and a new generation will be tested.

A lack of faith for those who have given their lives to the Lordship of Jesus is no small thing. Can one really say they have bowed to the LORDSHIP of Jesus without faith? It is not a cavalier state. God is not unmoved by a lack of faith, Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe hat he exist and that he will reward those who earnestly seek him." While God is gracious and merciful there is replete example of God's dealing with those who would not trust him. There is also example of God's mercy offering opportunity for repentance and stepping and showing God faith and obedience.

In Joshua 3 the new generation of Israelites has an opportunity to show they will trust God. The people were told, "as soon as the soles of the feet of the priest who bear the ark of the LORD, the LORD of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap." This generation is being offered the same opportunity given to their fathers and mothers, to walk in faith. God is not going to push them, or step for them. He already spoke! The only question now, Will they act in faith?

That is the question you and I must answer too. Will we believe (act in faith)? What more does God need to do for us to truly trust Him? If we are holding to the temporary, that is where our idols or "god" is THEN we will not walk by faith in the true and living God. Remember that is not without consequence. Ask the generation of Israel who refused to see all that God had done, yet still would not, not could not, but refused to believe he would deliver what he promised.

As the generation of Israel who were crossing over the Jordan, to the promised land, took the step of faith, led by the Priest, they entered the land. There is a twist while the land stood before them. God will deliver it. How would God deliver it? This generation would have to continue to step in faith because God offered the land via battles and wars. Their life would be one faith step after another. Battles and wars after another, for each territory. They could be confident that God had already Spoken the outcome. They could not let the way God chose to deliver the land to make them weary. This is also indicative of our faith walk, one step of faith to another. In our lives there is one battle or war after another. We cannot lose track of the ultimate promise of His eternal life. We are part of the promise to build His Kingdom.

No wonder the Scripture reminds us not to become weary. It also reminds us that His "grace is sufficient..." We need to know He is our strength in our weakness. But he will not be our faith, that we must choose to step in ourselves. Faith has been delivered to act on. He has made everything possible for us to step and watch our "waters be cut off, and stand as a heap." We can cross over any circumstance to victory knowing He "will reward those who earnestly seek Him " stepping in faith. Faith also will keep us from wandering for a metarphorical 40 years. Take the step necessary in whatever circumstance you are being put in. God has Spoken, find out what he has said and Step.