Faithfulness of God

God is with us when He calls us

여호수아 3:13–17 NIrV

“The priests will carry the ark of the Lord. He’s the Lord of the whole earth. As soon as the priests step into the Jordan, it will stop flowing. The water that’s coming down the river will pile up in one place. That’s how you will know that the living God is among you.” So the people took their tents down. They prepared to go across the Jordan River. The priests who were carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. The water of the Jordan was going over its banks. It always does that at the time the crops are being gathered. The priests came to the river. Their feet touched the water’s edge. Right away the water that was coming down the river stopped flowing. It piled up far away at a town called Adam near Zarethan. The water that was flowing down to the Dead Sea was completely cut off. So the people went across the Jordan River opposite Jericho. The priests carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord. They stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the river. They stayed there until the whole nation of Israel had gone across on dry ground.

Remembering God’s faithfulness helps us remain faithful

Remembering God’s faithfulness helps us remain faithful

How do you able to be faithful to God?  Whenever I go to the graves of my grandparents and my father, I am so thankful because they were faithful to me in taking care of me and loving me.  In the same way, we are able to be faithful by remembering God’s faithfulness.   

GOD IS WITH US WHEN HE CALLS US

15 “The priests came to the river. Their feet touched the water’s edge. Right away the water that was coming down the river stopped flowing. It piled up far away”

The water didn’t respond until the priests’ feet touched it. They took the first steps of obedience before God stopped the waters for their safe passing. To step into the land God had given them, they had to take steps of faith. God had gone ahead of them while also being with them in the moment. God is ahead of us and present with us in every moment too, but we often have to take steps of obedience before God brings us to the next thing. Faith requires movement. We can trust God even as we obey because He is faithful to His promises.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT GOD IS OMNIPRESENT? HOW DOES THIS PASSAGE REFLECT THAT TRUTH?

“Their feet touched the water’s edge. Right away the water that was coming down the river stopped flowing.”

Omnipresence is the ability to be everywhere at once, unbound by time or space. The ark represented God’s presence with the people, but He was never confined to the ark. God was with them at the river, and He had already gone ahead of them and prepared their way. He was with them in their slavery in Egypt; He was with them in the wilderness; and He would be with them in Canaan. We can’t go anywhere to escape God’s presence (Ps. 139:7-10).

WHAT DOES THIS PASSAGE HELP US UNDERSTAND ABOUT GOD’S PRESENCE AND ABOUT MOVING AHEAD OF HIM?

The people had to keep a great distance from the ark—roughly one thousand yards—so that the massive crowd could see it and know the way to go (Josh. 3:4). They had to follow God’s presence, which dwelt among them and guided them. If they got too close or got ahead of the ark, they’d be acting in disobedience. Sometimes it’s tempting for us to go ahead of God. We do this when we act without praying, without waiting for God’s direction, without seeking wisdom in His Word, and without seeking godly wisdom from others. Going without God would’ve been deadly for Israel; they couldn’t have defeated the many enemies they faced in Canaan. When we go ahead of God and act outside of His will for our lives, we’re just as vulnerable to the attack of the enemy—Satan. For example, it may be tempting to make decisions using our own understanding, to date before we’re ready, or to choose a college without praying, but moving forward without God’s guidance isn’t the way.

HOW DOES JOSHUA’S LEADING THE PEOPLE INTO THE PROMISED LAND HINT AT WHAT JESUS DOES FOR US?

Joshua led the people toward the land God had promised them over 450 years earlier. He also acted as a go-between for God and His people and led them in victory. All of this hints at what Jesus does for us: He is the way to God (John 14:6). He fulfilled God’s promise for a Savior. He is our Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5). And Jesus’s name, which is actually Joshua in Hebrew, even means “the Lord saves!” Joshua led the people toward freedom, but our freedom in Jesus is far greater.

ACCORDING TO VERSES 6-7, WHAT SHOULD BE PART OF OUR MOTIVATION TO REMEMBER GOD’S FAITHFULNESS?

“The stones will serve as a reminder to you. In days to come, your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Tell them that the Lord cut off the flow of water in the Jordan River. Tell them its water stopped flowing when the ark of the covenant of the Lord went across. The stones will always remind the Israelites of what happened there.”

Our remembering affects those around us. When we forget God’s faithfulness and goodness, we fail to tell others about it. But when we commit to remembering, then we can faithfully share the truth with others. We don’t simply remember for ourselves; we remember for the benefit of others who come behind us.