The River Crossing

Found this in my journal Dated July 1, 2014

In the early morning hours of July 1^st I woke up with a burden pressing on me. At first I tried to shake it off, tossing and turning, trying to find sleep. I finally sat up and asked the Lord what He would have me do. The Holy Spirit then led me to read Jeremiah 12:1-5.

“¹You, O Lord are [uncompromisingly] righteous and consistently just when I plead my case with You;
Yet let me discuss issues of justice with You:
Why has the way of the wicked prospered?
Why are those who deal in treachery (deceit) at ease and thriving?
² You have planted them, they have also taken root;
They grow, they have even produced fruit.
You are honored by their [hypocritical] lips
But [You are] far from their heart and mind.
³ But You, O Lord, know me [and understand my devotion to You];
You see me;
And You examine the attitude of my heart toward You.
Drag out the faithless like sheep for the slaughter [O Lord]
And set them apart for the day of slaughter.
⁴ How long must the land mourn
And the grass of the countryside wither?
Because of the wickedness and hypocrisy of those who live in it,
The beasts and the birds are consumed and are swept away [by the drought],
Because men [mocking me] have said, “He will not [live long enough to] see [what happens at] our final end.”

⁵ [The Lord rebukes Jeremiah for his impatience, saying] “If you have raced with men on foot and they have tired you out,
Then how can you compete with horses?
If you fall down in a land of peace [where you feel secure],
Then how will you do [among the lions] in the [flooded] thicket beside the Jordan?”

And there it was….an on time message.

Perseverance.

Persevering through trials. Enduring the difficulties of this world.

Being persistent, tenacious, determined, and purposeful no matter what’s going on around you.

Perseverance is defined as steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

And from there God led me to The River Jordan (Joshua 1 and 3 – Not posted here but please read before going further!).

“Crossing the river Jordan is the most significant thing in the life of any person. We cross from the old order to the new order. We cross from old habits to new habits. We cross from the old paganism and slavery to the freedom of the new world. We cross from sinful life to holy life. We cross from complaining to God to complimenting God. We have a new vigor. We are born again.

God instructs us to obey every commandment and to occupy the land promised to us. He will give us spiritual authority over the land where we walk. We are elevated to a higher level of accountability and responsibility. We cannot complain any more. We are mature. We are carrying the palpable and manifest presence of God. We should be careful to treat the holy of holies with the great respect. We cannot be indifferent anymore.

There are consequences when we take the crossing of Jordan lightly. Remember how Jericho fell when people worshipped God with a clean heart. Remember how Joshua’s men fell at Ai when Achan stole the possessions of Ai. We cannot win a battle when there is sin in the camp. We cannot serve a holy God with unholy minds after crossing the Jordan.” (*I didn’t have the author’s name next to this reference, but just to let you know this revelation was from someone else – God bless you, unknown author!)

Perseverance is truly a time of transition.

It is a process that presses you. It’s like a birthing process. During childbirth, the infant is pressed and squeezed to unimaginable dimensions. But it has a purpose! The contractions break the “water” sac surrounding the baby so that the baby can then “travel” to its new destination. The contractions, though painful, help guide the infant through the birth canal into the light of day. Ahh, how that first glimpse of light must be so confounding. Having spent your life in darkness only to be pressed out into blinding light. Where everything is cold, and new, and loud, and chaotic.

But oh the feeling of being held tight by mom and dad! The safety and comfort of their arms brings such peace and joy!

I really hope this is connecting with someone!!!

No one likes the process. I cannot think of a single person who said they are comfortable during trials and tribulations. And guess what? You’re not supposed to be comfortable!The only comfort we should find in this life is in the arms of our Father God. But just as a child, even held in our parents arms, we still must endure this life.

Listen, it is in our trials where we face the “real” us. We see who and where we are spiritually and its never who and where we think we are. It is in the process of perseverance that we are cleansed and purged our unclean, unrighteous, sinful, selfless ways. But only if we choose God and have faith in Him!

Choosing to follow God (no matter what) is going on lead you straight to sanctification (now that’s a ten dollar word!) To be sanctified is to be set apart or declared as holy; to be consecrated unto God.

And that’s what God required of the Israelites before crossing the River Jordan. He told Joshua to speak to the people about sanctifying themselves before they reached the river. But you know what else God told them? He said “Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified or dismayed (intimidated), for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

At this point, the Israelites had been through almost every imaginable trial. They had been traveling in the wilderness for generations and here they were, just days away from reaching the promised land. But they had to cross a river to walk in the promises of God.

Hear this, you have been traveling in the wilderness for some time now. You are only moments away from crossing the barrier between you and the promises of God. Already God has revealed broken places in you, weaknesses in your character, and wickedness in your flesh. He has cleansed you. You have been reborn, refreshed, revived, and now your eyes are on Him. But remember that God is holy! He calls us to be sanctified, set apart from worldly things and influences. Sanctification only comes through relationship with God. It comes through knowledge of His word, obedience to His word, sacrifice of ourselves, and devotion to Him!

Notice in Joshua 9 that the Ark of the Covenant went before the people when crossing the river Jordan. The ark contained God’s sacred commandments. His Word! We must know God’s word and follow His word to be sanctified. His word goes before us, leading the way to Him, His promises, to life. Are you reading His word? Are you spending time with God through prayer, fasting, and worship? Can you truly say that He has all of you?

Time is running out! Our birthing process is almost done and we are NOT ready for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ! It is time to fully turn to God or walk away! That’s it! Only choice! No more straddling the fence, having one foot with God and the other with the world.

We have to remember that no matter what, God is God. Our infirmities, circumstances, hardships, pains, tribulations, persecutions, and sufferings do not change Who He Is, nor do they make His word obsolete.

God answered Jeremiah’s complaint with a mirror. He said Jeremiah! Look at yourself. How can you persevere through the hardships to come if you cannot let go of the little troubles currently surrounding you? How are you going to survive facing the war when you cannot make it through training?

Let’s put our big girl/boy pants on!

Yes, things are hard. Yes, life is unfair. Yes, we hurt and get disappointed.

But we haven’t seen anything yet! We haven’t seen the glory of God.

We are at the brink of our Redemption!

We are only moments away from our River Jordan and God has promised us that He is with us and will not leave nor forsake us!

It’s time to step up! It’s time to put on the full armor of God! It’s time to transition into the fullness of God. Jesus said that for those who believed in Him, they would do greater things than what he had done while on earth (John 14:12).

And it’s time that we begin to walk in His promises!

So the Lord says to you, “Be courageous! Do not fret or be anxious. Have NO fear! For I am with you! I have plans for you. Plans to prosper you and to give you hope and a future. I will never leave you and never forsake you. I will take care of you. Only believe! Have faith! Trust in Me for I care deeply for you. I am here to do you good. Just follow Me and I will lead you into paths of righteousness!”