The Well
The Well |
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Connecting Hope to the Hurting | |
Wednesday
March 12, 2008
The priests who were carrying the Ark stood in the middle of the river until
all of the Lord's instructions, which Moses had given to Joshua, were carried
out. Meanwhile, the people hurried across the riverbed…
At that time the Lord
told Joshua, "Use knives of flint to make the Israelites a circumcised people
again."
So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the entire male
population of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth…
After all the males had been
circumcised, they rested in the camp until they were healed…
While the
Israelites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated
Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month — the month
that marked their exodus from Egypt. The very next day they began to eat
unleavened bread and roasted grain harvested from the land. No manna appeared
that day, and it was never seen again. So from that time on the Israelites ate
from the crops of Canaan.
Joshua 4:10; 5:2-3, 8, 10-12
Once Joshua got across to the other side, the Lord instructed him to set up memorials made of stone for the people to remember what the Lord had done for them. Once this task was completed, the priests and the Ark were able to come out of the water. How many times have we built memorials and instead of moving on to where the Lord wants us to go next, we stayed and began to worship the memorial rather than God?
For eight years I have prayed for a building to house the ministry ¾ a place where we can meet with people who are hurting and have a coffeehouse. Anytime I see a vacant building or house I ask the Lord if that is the place. I admit that way too often I've gotten discouraged and frustrated because it hasn't happened yet. Well, maybe I haven't stood long enough. Maybe the people I am leading haven't quite gotten to the other side.
Oh, we've had temporary places, and it was absolutely wonderful. It was in those times that I actually felt the vision being fulfilled. I saw the Lord's hand in it and walked in the glory of all He was doing. Then just as soon as it happened, it was taken away. I mourned.
Just where is the other side and what happens there? Well, it is the beginning of the promise, a place of circumcision, and a place of rest. Once these people reached Gilgal and completed the rite of circumcision and rested, they were healed. Also, no more manna ever appeared for them. They were able to eat from the crops of Canaan. What a blessing!
God wants to circumcise our hearts, but He can't do this until we have completed the original orders to trust and obey. These people had to step into a flowing river, stand still, wait until all the people were over, get rocks from the river, and build a memorial before the priests could come out of the water.
This group of Israelites, the ones who survived the wilderness, had learned to wait on God. As a result, God blessed them and allowed them to enter into the gates of His promise for them. Oh, what a blessing! Learning to wait on God and not taking one step without His signal is difficult. He give us a vision and we want to run off with the crowd toward what we think the vision means, rather than simply standing still until He instructs us to move. Where are you?
Father, I thank You so much for the mercy You have shown me when I tried to cross the Jordan in my own strength. Thank You for being patient with me and allowing me to take the test over and over until I passed. Thank You for the circumcision You have done on my heart. Thank You for showing me my faults, forgiving me, healing me, and helping me come out of the water.
