Take the Step

​IN JOSHUA 1 MOSES, THE GREAT ISRAELITE LEADER IS DEAD; HE HAS LEFT HIS APPRENTICE, JOSHUA IN HIS PLACE.  MOSES WAS PERHAPS THE GREATEST PROPHET TO EVER WALK THE EARTH, AND IF YOU TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT HIS RESUME` YOU CAN SEE WHY.  THE GUY EXPERIENCED GOD IN A BURNING BUSH, WAS THE INSTRUMENT USED TO DEVASTATE THE EGYPTIANS WITH 10 HORRIBLE PLAGUES.  MOSES LED THE ISRAELITES, A PEOPLE ESTIMATED TO BE BETWEEN 300,000 AND 3 MILLION, OUT OF SLAVERY.  HE PARTED THE RED SEA AND HAD ALL OF THESE PEOPLE MARCH ACROSS.  MOSES ALSO HAD TO TAKE THIS MASSIVE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE, WHO BY THE WAY WERE NOT A GROUP OF HAPPY CAMPERS, THROUGH THE WILDERNESS FOR 40 YEARS.  IMAGINE THE TROUBLE OF FINDING WATER FOR THAT MANY PEOPLE EVERY DAY AND THEN FEEDING THEM.  

     BUT THROUGH THE TOUGH AND THE EASY... OKAY THERE WASN'T VERY MUCH EASY ABOUT MOSES' LIFE, BUT HE HAD FAITH IN GOD.  EVEN THOUGH NUMEROUS PEOPLE ROSE UP IN OPPOSITION AGAINST MOSES, HE STAYED FOCUSED.  MOSES TRUSTED GOD TO BRING HIM THROUGH AND GOD PROVED HIMSELF TIME AND TIME AGAIN.  NOW THIS MAN IS GONE AND HIS NUMBER ONE MAN IS IN HIS PLACE.

     I KNOW YOU HAVE HEARD THE EXPRESSION, "HE HAS SOME BIG SHOES TO FILL."  THAT CAN'T HELP BUT SEEM LIKE AN UNDERSTATEMENT IN THIS SITUATION.  BUT HOWEVER IT SOUNDS, IT IS STILL HAPPENING.  JOSHUA IS GIVEN A CHARGE BY GOD.  AND IN JOSHUA 3 GOD TELLS JOSHUA THE HE WILL BE WITH JOSHUA AND TO PROVE IT GOD WILL PART THE WATERS OF THE JORDAN RIVER AND THE ISRAELITE CAMP WILL CROSS OVER.  THE KICKER IS THE PRIEST CARRYING THE ARK OF THE COVENANT WILL WALK INTO A RIVER THAT IS FLOODING. (JOSHUA 3:8,15)  

     AND THE COMMAND STANDS TODAY FOR YOU AND I.  WILL YOU BE WILLING TO WALK INTO YOUR "FLOODING RIVER" THAT IS BETWEEN YOU AND WHERE GOD WANTS YOU TO BE?  CAN YOU TAKE THAT FIRST STEP INTO THE WATER AND TRUST GOD TO COME THROUGH WITH HIS PROMISE?  OR DO YOU HAVE TO BE CONVINCED FIRST?  DO YOU NEED TO SEE SOMETHING SUPERNATURAL FIRST?  MOST OF US WOULD HAVE TO SEE THE SUPERNATURAL BEFORE WE STEPPED, BUT THINK OF IT LIKE THIS... WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE A DROUGHT OR EARTHQUAKE TO FORCE YOU TO MOVE?  FOR JOSHUA, GOD'S WORD WAS ENOUGH... WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR YOU?