January 29

When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth—touch down in the waters of the Jordan, its flowing waters will be cut off and will stand up in a heap. — Josh 3:13 BSB

There must be faith first. The priests carrying the ark had to step into the water of the Jordan River before it would part. They didn’t see a path across the river before they started walking. They had to break camp and begin their journey without any sign of a way through the river. If they had waited at the water’s edge for the river to stop flowing, it wouldn’t have happened. They had to take a step into the water before the path would be revealed. They had to move forward, trusting that the way would open.

This teaches us that we must take God at His word and move forward in obedience, even when we can’t see how everything will work out. We often expect God to remove the obstacles before we move, but the path is only revealed as we step forward in faith. A great many people stand on the edge of a life of faith, waiting for a certain feeling or sign before they begin to follow Christ. But if they would only start moving forward in obedience, the way would become clear.