“…the water above that point began backing up…until the riverbed was dry.
Then all the people crossed over…Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the
Ark of the Lord’s Covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed…
They waited until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan on dry ground.”
Joshua 3:16-17
I will never forget when our African Land Rover got stuck in a sea of mud in Maasai land. There was nothing to do but take off our shoes and slug through ankle-deep mud. We had gone only a few yards when I suddenly landed on my rear, my long dress covered in mud, laughing at what a sight I would be preaching to that church full of ladies!
In this story, God not only stopped the flow of water down the Jordan, but He dried up the riverbed as well. God never intended His people to trudge through mud to reach their promised land. Yet how many times do we get bogged down in muddy messes? Instead of trusting God’s way, we slog down our own muddy paths…we waste time getting stuck…we splash grime all over our clothes, and sometimes even fall face down in our self-made muck and mire.
In the wilderness, God taught the Israelites HIS ways. IF they followed those directions, all the blessings of the Promised Land would be theirs. God kept His promise and even made it possible for them to enter the land of His blessings without plodding through mud!
When I leave my own ways and follow God’s instead…
I too will enjoy His blessings…with no more mud!
