Get Your Feet Wet

-

Just "getting my feet wet" turned from taking one college class into graduating nursing school two and a half years earlier than I expected to. When you have the opportunity to wet your feet, do it. You never know where God will lead you when you take a step of faith. Sometimes, getting your feet wet is what will actually make it so you're standing on dry ground. Let me explain:

In Joshua 3:8 - 4:24, we find the story about when God held back the waters of the Jordan river. God told the priests to put their feet in that river. They had to take action; they had to do something. Would they obey or would they stand still? God was ready to move. Yet, they had to first obey a simple command: "get your feet wet." 

At first it seems like something small and insignificant that these men simply were being asked to put their feet in the river. Yet, the passage makes a point to say that at this particular time of the year, the Jordan river "overflows all of its banks." This isn't just some small, slow-moving river. This thing is the real deal. This river is overflowing, likely complete with strong currents and cold, fierce rushing water - water so powerful there is a trench in the ground through which it is running and carving away. Even so, these men are asked to "stand still" in the Jordan. Take a step of faith, and then be still as God moves. 

The priests step into the Jordan: An act of faith and obedience.

This was not a moment where they wanted to be "swept off their feet." Just saying.

Also, it is important to remember that these guys were holding the Ark of the Covenant, or the "box of the agreement," which was the most highly valued possession of this people group. What if they were swept away with it? What if God failed to protect them? 

Putting their "what ifs" aside, the Ark of the Covenant reminds them that God's presence is with them. Literally. They obey. They step into the raging water. Then, they stand still in obedience, trusting God for deliverance; trusting God for a miracle! They wait for God in the midst of the raging water. Verse 16 tells us what happens, and it's amazing. the waters stood and rose up in a heap far away, and the priests found themselves standing on dry ground. In the Jordan river! On dry ground! 

These obedient men prepared the way for the nations by stepping out in faith. The dry ground wasn't just for them, but also for the people of God. It's likely that they could see a wall of water above them, off in the distance, knowing that it could crush them at any given moment. Yet, they didn't run in fear; they trusted God as the keeper and Creator of all things, including the threatening wall of water.

In Chapter 4 verse 10, it says that they stood in the river until everything God had commanded was finished. Unlike the people from the nation of Israel, they did not rush to pass through the waters. They waited on God's timing. The people, however, "passed over in haste." It was not until after the people had passed through that the priests moved out of the river.

As soon as they stepped out of the river, the waters returned to their status of "overflowing."

This story is a testament to God's ability to do all things. Do you trust him to act when you step out in faith?

_________________


"For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the red sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over. So that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever." - Joshua 4:23-24


__________________


There is purpose in trusting God and in obeying His words. There is victory in stepping out in faith. There is freedom in getting your feet wet and letting God do the rest. Who would have thought that getting your feet wet would be the very thing that makes it so you're standing on dry ground?!

When God opens a door or calls for our obedience in something small, we simply have to get our feet wet and trust him to do the rest. My mom always told me to obey "...right away, all the way, with a happy Spirit." In other words, don't wait or question a call for obedience. Don't partially obey. Do it with the right attitude. That pretty much sums it up. Be obedient in the little things, because that sets a precedent for the rest of your life.

Obey fully. Trust God. Don't be hesitant to get your feet wet when you're called into the raging waters. 


_________________






Popular posts from this blog

an ode to dirty diapers

-
Image
Never has a task felt so repetitive and so mundane.  Nonetheless, never has a task felt so needed and so incredibly purposeful: Changing. Yet. Another. Dirty. Diaper.  From soiled to clean, once again.  And it would be silly to become frustrated with the task when these youngsters we care for are so little that they're simply unable to control these natural bodily functions. It isn't a perfect analogy, but bear with me. Or if we're talking about the baby on your lap, maybe it would be better suited to say "bear down" with me as they fill their pants again! Ok, that's probably taking my inner labor/delivery nurse bodily-function-language-filter (or lack thereof) too far. You'll have to bear down with me, too. Oops. Too far, again? Well, there goes the hope for a smooth delivery of this topic! Ha! Are you laughing with (or at) me yet? Ok, but for real: I can't help but think: Is this perhaps how God views the cleansing of our sin? Repetitive. Purposeful....
Read more

the ultimate birth story

-
Image
The Bible is laden with birth stories. Eve's. Sarah's. Rebecca's. Rachel's. Elizabeth's. Hannah's. Mary's. And so many others. But laden throughout all scripture is the undercurrent of a greater birth story in the lives of you and me: the story of us being born into the family of God.  We hear of increased pain in childbearing (Eve). Giving birth as an elderly woman (Elizabeth, giving birth to John the Baptist). Barrenness (Rebecca, for 20 years!), twin birth (also Rebecca, giving birth to Jacob and Esau), post-menopausal birth (Sarah), dying in childbirth (Rachel, when she had Benjamin), and even giving birth as a virgin (Mary, giving birth to Jesus). It is no wonder we hear about birth so much in the Scripture; it is is a significant event. It's incredibly hard, but it's also something we can be proud of, because the end result is, or is supposed to be, beautiful new life. But unfortunately, birth is broken. It doesn't always end in new life, a...
Read more

the faith of infancy

-
Image
As I sit here gazing at our sweet baby's face, it's as if I've never seen or understood a baby's helpless state before; I find myself having a "lightbulb" moment, where Matthew 18:3 hits me in a brand new way. Our precious son, completely reliant on us as his caretakers: the two people God chose, enabled and entrusted to give life to this little one. Whoa, dude. That's a big responsibility. And yet, my heart rejoices as Mary's did in Luke chapter 1, "magnifying" the Lord, because no, I could not have done anything this beautiful apart from the Lord, the Creator. I rejoice in Zion's life. He's such a blessing to GET to take care of!! The Lord has indeed done beautiful things for us, and HOLY is his name! And then, to think that God willingly gave up his firstborn - his one and only Son for us. It seems unfair. Probably because it is. Yet, Jesus went willingly into the humble, helpless human form as he became a baby. But, that's a w...
Read more