Joshua 3:5 (ESV)
5 Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”
Most of us would feel better about taking the next step if we could see a little further down the road. We want to know how the conversation will go, where the provision will come from, and whether the decision will turn out the way we hope. We might be willing to move forward, but we would appreciate a few more details first.
That desire is understandable. There is nothing wrong with asking questions, making plans, or seeking wise counsel. The difficulty comes when we make certainty a requirement for obedience. We can spend so much time waiting to know how everything will work out that we stop responding to what God has already made clear.
In Joshua 3, Israel arrives at the Jordan River. After years in the wilderness, the people are approaching the land God promised them. But standing between where they are and where they are going is a river. And this is not a convenient moment to cross. The Jordan is overflowing its banks during the harvest season.
The promise is real. So is the obstacle.
Sometimes we assume that following God should make the path easier to recognize and easier to walk. When something difficult stands in front of us, we immediately wonder whether we have misunderstood Him. Certainly, there are times when we need to stop and reconsider our direction. But difficulty alone does not mean we have taken a wrong turn. Israel was exactly where God was leading them, and the river was still there.
Before they crossed, the people received instructions to follow the ark of the covenant, carried by the priests. The ark represented God’s presence among His people. They were entering unfamiliar territory, and they needed to follow His lead. Their confidence could not rest on having traveled this road before. They had to depend on the God who knew the way.
That is an important place to begin when we face uncertainty. Our first concern should be whether we are following the Lord. It is possible to become so focused on getting past an obstacle that we stop paying attention to the One we are supposed to be following. We want movement. God calls us to walk with Him.
Then Joshua tells the people to consecrate themselves. They were to set themselves apart for the Lord, preparing to encounter His holy presence and witness His work. Before their attention settled entirely on what needed to happen around them, they were called to consider their relationship with God.
We often reverse that order. We want God to change the situation, remove the pressure, and make the next step obvious. Meanwhile, there may be something in our own hearts that we have been unwilling to surrender. We can be deeply concerned about the circumstances ahead while giving very little attention to the attitudes we are carrying into them.
For us, that preparation includes honestly bringing our lives before the Lord. Is there sin we need to confess? Is there resentment we have been protecting? Have we already decided what we want and simply asked God to approve it? Those questions matter because following Him requires a willingness to be corrected as well as encouraged.
Later in the chapter, the priests carrying the ark step into the Jordan. God had told them what He would do, but they still had to move toward water that was flowing. When their feet entered the river, the water coming down from upstream stopped, and the people crossed on dry ground.
Their obedience rested on a word God had actually spoken. This passage does not give us permission to make a reckless decision and expect God to rescue it. Faith listens to God, takes His Word seriously, and responds to His direction.
We also need to be careful about turning this event into a promise that every obstacle will disappear as soon as we obey. God gave Israel a specific promise about this crossing. Our circumstances may unfold differently. A faithful decision can still involve loss, a difficult response, or a long season of waiting. God remains trustworthy through all of it.
One place I see this play out is in difficult conversations. Whether we are talking with a coworker, a family member, or a friend, there are moments when we need to swallow our pride, be honest, and apologize. We may know exactly what we need to take responsibility for, but we have no idea how the other person will receive it.
That uncertainty can make us hesitate. We want reassurance that the conversation will go well before we begin. But we cannot make someone accept an apology, and we cannot decide how quickly trust will be rebuilt. What we can do is take responsibility for our words and actions, approach the person with humility, and give them room to respond.
Sometimes that is the next faithful step: doing what we know is right while trusting God with the part we cannot control.
You may be facing something unfamiliar this morning. You do not have to pretend that the uncertainty is easy. Bring those concerns honestly to the Lord. Open His Word. Seek wise counsel. Give Him room to address your heart.
Then take the step you know is faithful.
You may not be able to see the whole way forward. You can still follow the God who has been faithful all along.
Prayer
Father, You know the way ahead even when I cannot see it. Help me bring my fears and questions honestly before You. Search my heart and show me anything I need to surrender. Give me wisdom to recognize Your direction and humility to receive correction. Where You have made the next step clear, help me obey without demanding control over the outcome. Teach me to trust Your presence through unfamiliar places and to remain faithful in the responsibilities You have given me today. In Jesus’ name, amen.