For forty years the Israelites had been moving around in the wilderness. They didn’t travel far, but they couldn’t stay in one place.
What was the reason they remained in the wilderness? To say it in a single word? Fear! Forty years earlier Moses had told the people to go into the land. They were too afraid. Their spies came back and told tales of tall people with powerful armies. The people had seen God act in mighty ways like parting the Red Sea, making bitter water drinkable, providing water from the rock, and saving them from a surprise attack by the Amalekites; yet they were still afraid.
What were they afraid of? They couldn’t see a sure way they could win based on their own abilities. The Israelites for some reason believed that somehow God who had never abandoned them would abandon them now. These people constantly whined, tried to worship a golden calf, and didn’t listen to God’s clear instructions. They failed God; however, God never failed them.
Forty years later was a new day. Joshua told the people that tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among them. All the people had to do was be ready. Joshua told them to consecrate themselves and follow the ark of God. If they did these things, they would see God do amazing things. What it boiled down to, was trust.
Would the people trust God? They did choose to trust God that day. They followed God’s instructions, and they saw God do amazing things. They saw the swollen Jordan River stop flowing. Once again the people of God walked across on dry ground. Amazing! All they had to do to see this amazing thing happen was to trust in God.
Now that might sound easy to us. Jesus tells us to trust in God. But do we? We have to let go of control and then surrender to the triune God.
How many of us want to see God do amazing things in our world in 2024? I am guessing we are tired of the bickering, the wars, and the problems. If we would only do what Joshua told the Israelites to do, we would be amazed. They had to stop doing what they had always done and stop living the way they had always lived. And that means we have to trust God to provide for us. We have to go into our community and be the people of God.
Did the Israelites know what amazing things they would see? Nope! Did they go? Yes, and God provided for the Israelites that day and God will provide for us. We simply have to go. God will show us exactly what to do. We must go together because one of us is not enough. It will take all of us together.
God is inviting us to trust him. It is time for us to go and see God do amazing things. Let’s go!