LISTEN ONLINEThe guest speaker spoke on the wisdom of trusting God and “stepping into the river”. He talked about a pastor who trusted God and chose to speak the truths of the Bible in a sermon despite the new restrictive laws of his land. He was convicted of hate crimes and spent thirty days in jail. But his case was appealed, and the court ruled he had the right to give a personal interpretation of the Bible and to urge others to follow Jesus.
The priests carrying the ark of the covenant had to make a choice too—either step into the water or stay on the shore. After escaping Egypt, the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years. Now they stood on the banks of the Jordan River, which was at flood stage and dangerously high. But they took that step, and God caused the waters to recede: “As soon as . . . their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing” (Joshua 3:15-16).
When we trust God with our lives, He gives us the courage to move forward, whether by choosing to speak the truths of the Bible or by taking a step into unknown territory. During that pastor’s trial, the court heard the gospel through listening to his sermon. And, in Joshua, the Israelites crossed safely into the promised land and shared about the power of God with future generations (v. 17; 4:24).
If we step out in faith, God will see to the rest.