F O O T H O L D
READING
73 JORDAN CROSSED
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PRAY Search me, O God, and
know my heart . . . lead me in the way
everlasting. (Psalm 139:23,24).
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READ Joshua 3:1-17; 4:19-5:1.
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THINK What was the purpose
of the memorial cairns?
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PRAY This was surely the
strangest invasion ever staged. Usually crack
troops are chosen to
spearhead such an event, but here it was a
group of priests carrying a
gold-plated wooden chest! But the ark
(Covenant Box) was full of
meaning. It was a symbol of God's own
presence showing that he was
really there with them. It contained
the two tablets of the law
which God had given to Moses on Mount
Sinai, reminding them of the
sort of lives God wanted them to
live.
We have to give the priests
great credit; they were not trained
for warfare, and they
normally lived a sheltered life. But they
went out in front, and
walked right into the turbulent flood-
swollen river. Often we too
have to step out in faith and only
when we have done so does
the way ahead become clear. The priests
knew that God was with them
(10,11,13).
So the Israelites crossed
the Jordan. But Joshua knew how quickly
people forget even God's
greatest miracles, and so he took
special trouble to make sure
the event wes remembered. It was
difficult to ignore those
twelve solid lumps of rock, taken from
the actual river-bed.
What 'memorial cairns' can
remind us today of God's grace and
power? Every cross on a
church steeple and every celebration of
the Eucharist or Lord's
supper point us to God's greatest
victory. But what about your
own pilgrimage with God? Have you
kept a journal of God's
dealings with you?
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PRAY Thank you for every
memory I have of your action in my life. Give
me the faith that ventures
boldly for you, O God.
