Trusting God’s New Way
Imagine being Joshua, standing before the Jordan River, receiving instructions from God that sound nothing like what you’ve seen Him do before. The last time the Israelites faced an impassable body of water, God performed a miracle so memorable it defined their faith:
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. – Exodus 14:21-22
A Different Instruction
If I were Joshua, I would have assumed God would repeat the same miracle, allowing the Jordan to part before anyone had to get their feet wet. Instead, God’s instruction was to have the priests step into the water first, carrying the ark of the covenant:
And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests 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. – Joshua 3:13
The Challenge of Trust and Obedience
How unsettling this must have been for Joshua. He might have thought, “This isn’t how Moses did it. Will the people trust this new way? What if they hesitate to follow me? What if the waters don’t part?”
The reality is, God doesn’t always work in the same way twice. His methods often challenge our faith and push us into deeper reliance on Him. Joshua’s obedience required trust—not only in God’s promise but also in the process. He had to believe that the God who parted the Red Sea would be faithful to do something just as miraculous, even if it looked different this time.
Stepping Out in Faith
For Joshua, stepping into this new process wasn’t just about crossing a river; it was about demonstrating trust in God’s ability to make a way, even when the way seemed unclear. The same is true for us. God may call us to move forward into uncharted waters, trusting Him to act only after we step out in faith.
Challenge Question:
- Have you ever hesitated to step into something God was calling you to because it looked different than what you expected or wanted? How did you respond?
- Are there areas in your life where you are waiting for God to act, but He is waiting for you to take the first step of obedience?
- How can you encourage those around you to trust God’s process, even when it challenges comfort or familiarity?
To learn more on this topic, check out this YouTube: https://youtu.be/QFihQCluh-w?si=d8DpbFtFlPbrGC0K
Read: Your West Side Story: https://lisa-schwarz.com/your-west-side-story/
