The Faith of Waiting
When the Israelites crossed over the river Jordan, the priests who carried the ark of the covenant went first but came out of the riverbed last. The scene ends after all the Israelites have crossed the dry river. In Joshua 4:17-18, we read, “So Joshua commanded the priests, ‘Come up out of the Jordan.’ And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before.”
Imagine standing in the middle of what was once a raging river at flood stage. Imagine holding your position as hundreds of thousands of people and their livestock walked past. Imagine the faith these men had to have held onto as they heard water in the distance. Yet, they remained steady. They waited because God said stay. Though their minds could only image the peril they would find themselves in if the waters came while they waited, they remained, Matthew Henry commented concerning this section of scripture, “The priests with the ark did not stir till ordered to move. Let none be weary of waiting, while they have tokens of God’s presence with them, though it be in the depths of adversity.”
Unlike the priests who stood holding the ark, we often do not see who or what we are waiting for. We cannot count the stragglers and guess when our turn to move will be, but we can still stand with faith. God’s plans are always good. They are never wasteful. If God commands us to wait, He has a reason, and that reason is worth waiting for. Even if we stand in what appears to be the most perilous place, our confidence remains in the strength of our Lord. Let not the sound of water rushing far off in the distance cause our legs to tremble. Nothing can thwart God’s plans. When we stand in His presence, we can wait without fear.
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
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