Faithful Into the Water

I am struggling to envision a camp of roughly 40,000 fighting-age men and their extended families camped along the eastern shores of the Jordan full to its banks with spring runoff. They have just spent 40 years living in the desert. To put this into perspective, I imagine wandering around in the desert with a few hundred thousand of my kinfolk ever since president Kennedy was assassinated. That's roughly 40 years ago. I was a boy then. I am way too old to fight now.

Crawling inside a persona living in the time of Joshua, here's what I imagine.

My name is Hashsha, son of Kadosh. The land that is our inheritance is within sight, across an impassable river at flood stage. This is what Yahweh has promised through Moses and I am both excited and scared. I am thrilled to finally reach a destination that has only been a dream for most of my life. At the same time, I am terrified enough to just curl up in the safety of my tent. But as a Levite, my purpose in life lies west of here.

I have been watching the torrent for three days. Yesterday I walked about ten miles south to the Dead Sea and a couple days earlier I walked the same distance to the north. Everywhere the crossing was treacherous. Our leaders have told us to follow the Ark so that we may see the road we are to follow, for we have not seen it before. In spite of my age, Joshua selected me to be one of the bearers of the Ark holding it with long acacia wood poles on my shoulders. He wants me in front, leading the way. I briefly question his sanity, but choose to remain silent.

I evaluate the alternatives. There is no way to cross south of here – I've been there. The fords to the north are way too dangerous for this many people. Animals and wagons would most surely be caught in the current and swept downstream to death. There is no road across the Jordan. To get from here to there seems impossible.

And, it is.

For the only way to succeed is to stop evaluating possibilities and step out in faith. The only way to achieve what is possible with God is to obey. Joshua instructs us to carry the Ark directly into the river and get our feet wet. For a fleeting moment I again question his sanity. But, as directed, I hoist the Ark on my shoulders along with my nephews, sons, and cousins and carry it through the camp heading straight for the raging waters.

Three feet before reaching the river, I am tempted to hesitate. The water is not stopping. The road is not appearing. This isn't going to work. The urge to yell "STOP" wells up inside me. Surely if I go two steps further I will be swept downstream and die.

Perhaps because of my age, perhaps because I remember God's past faithfulness, I take one more step into the river. The road suddenly appears. My people cross the floodwaters on a dry road only God could see – the one beneath the water. I begin to weep. I begin to understand.

Faith always involves action in the face of risk. Without risk, without some element of danger, uncertainty, or obstacle there is no faith. If I strategically overcome or avoid an obstacle with my own cleverness, I am devising a plan of my own making and executing it. I then can accomplish merely what is humanly possible.

In order to participate fully in God's plan, I have to get my feet wet. I have to be faithful all the way into the water.

Faith always results in God’s reward. When I reach the other side, He caresses my heart, kissing it gently, and shows me where we have been together. That is what causes me to weep, for I am not worthy to be asked carry out God's will – to participate in the redemption of Creation.

Hebrews 11:6 (The Message)It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.

And Faith always includes God's Presence. Not just the kind-of-out-there, sort-of-kinda this is what I think He wants, and if I half-heartedly do it hopefully it will all work out. No, that's not faith. That is a distant God. The God of faith is within us. Deep within us. We carry the Ark of His presence with us -- always leading the way for all who wish to follow.

"And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." It's the promise which closes the Book of Matthew. It's the promise which leads me, guides me, and gives me life – a full life in Christ. Amen.