February 22nd, 2013
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Holy Boundary Processing

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Opening Prayer

Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me. Speak to my heart of the things that matter most.

Read Joshua 3:1-17

[1] Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. [2] After three days the officers went throughout the camp, [3] giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. [4] Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between you and the ark; do not go near it.” [5] Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.” [6] Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them. [7] And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. [8] Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.'” [9] Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God. [10] This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. [11] See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. [12] Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. [13] And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD-the Lord of all the earth-set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.” [14] So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. [15] Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, [16] the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. [17] The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

Meditate

“When I tread the verge of Jordan, Bid my anxious fears subside; Death of death, and hell’s destruction, Land me safe on Canaan’s side” (W. Williams, 1717-91).

Think Further

The miraculous crossing of the River Jordan in full flood shows that the entry into the Promised Land is not just a matter of geographical relocation, but spiritual transformation. For the Israelites to enter into the promises of God they must pray, prepare themselves, and step out in faith. The passage of the priests and ark into the waters demonstrates the holy presence of God going before them. The Israelites follow at a distance of about 1 kilometer, again a reminder of the awesome power of God in their midst. Do we embark on personal and church projects aware of our need to prepare spiritually? Are we aware of God’s holy presence with us?

For the Israelites, such preparation involved washing their clothes and abstaining from sexual relations, as it did when they received the Law on Mount Sinai (Exod. 19:10-15). It would also have involved prayer and fasting, and the offering of worship and sacrifice. From this time on, Israel would be in a heightened state of spiritual readiness, engaged in battle and taking every opportunity to possess what God has promised. She couldn’t afford to rest in complacency or lower her level of alertness. Life is an ongoing battle, both physically and spiritually.

We go through stages of life and ministry, often without thinking about the transitions from one period to another. Robert Clinton, in his book The Making of a Leader, talks about the “boundary processing” that occurs when we go through significant challenges in our careers, family lives, personal maturing and spiritual growth. Every leader needs to learn how to recognize the stages of their development and learn lessons from it. Are you going through such a time right now? Are there others you know who need encouragement to press forward into the next stage?

Apply

List the next stages of your spiritual development, personal journey and service to God. How will you transition into them?

Closing prayer

Lord, I need the gift of discernment so that I can grasp what is going on in my life. Enable me to go forward with You.

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