Obedience Before Miracles: Joshua’s Powerful Message

I’m reading the book of Joshua, and there is an incredible amount of wisdom in every chapter.

Chapter 3 stands out. Read these verses and see if you find the same theme. 

Look at Verse 3b and 4: “move out from your positions and follow it and then you’ll know which way to go since you have never been this way before.”

Verse 5: “Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

Verse 8: “when you reach the water’s edge go stand in the river.” 

AND verse 15b and 16: “their feet touched the waters edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing.”

In every one of these verses, they stepped out in obedience BEFORE they saw God’s hand at work. 

• Verse 3: they had no clue where they were going yet they obeyed God and stepped out.
• Verse 5: they prepared themselves today for what God was going to do tomorrow.
• Verse 8 and 15/16: they were to go stand in the river before God stopped the flow. The waters didn’t stop flowing until they made the first move of obedience.

What is it that God has told you to do? Are you waiting on Him to show His hand before you move out? Wouldn’t it show more faith to make the first move doing what He has told you to do – expecting Him to be faithful?

Yes.

So – if God has told you to do something don’t wait to see if He will meet you there.

Obey and make that move – that faith is what makes God smile.