Joshua 3:11
Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.

When we come up to the stormy Jordan in our lives, when we come to the edge of a fast-flowing river that seems impassible, our merciful God will go before us.  He will take the first steps into the water and bid us follow Him in.  When we trust Him and take our first step into the cold, rising water, He clears a path before us and allows us to walk on dry ground.  He removes dangers and obstacles and ensures our safe passage.

What a sensation beneath our feet for the water and mud to turn to solid, sure ground, for us to know that where we now tread is not as dangerous or as slippery as it once was and could have been.  When we are following God and remain in His presence, our steps can be not with foolish haste, but with confidence that the Lord of all the Earth is there with us, guiding our way, clearing a path, and leading us in the way He would have us go.

God Himself passes over before us, no matter what we are facing.  This glorious thought in itself is made all the greater by the realization that He will always go before us and prepare the way.  It is therefore surely unwise to try to go before the Lord, to try to lead him in the way we would want to go.  If we make that choice, surely we would go alone, and surely our path would not be on dry ground.  We would face the overflowing river and be washed away.  When we try to go without God, it always ends in disaster.

With our eyes on God, we can take a step of faith.  These steps of faith often lead us to something much better on the other side.  Our own Promised Land awaits us if we would only trust in God’s plan and His ways and move forward in obedience.  We can’t stay on the side we’ve always known, the familiar land we’ve dwelt in.  Once we start crossing that river, we can’t stop halfway through.  We must persevere all the way across.  And when we do, God’s abundant blessings are waiting for us.