From Self-Reliance to God-Dependance
In Joshua 3:17 The Israelites crossed the Jordon river on dry ground symbolizing a change from a life of self-dependance to one dependent on God. What was true for them is true for us today.
10/25/20251 min read
The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground. Joshua 3:17 (NIV)
In this verse we see God's people crossing a water passage over dry land for a second time. The first time was in Exodus 14:22 when the Israelites crossed the red sea. Both instances took a lot of trust and dependance on God. They had to trust that their God was going to hold the waters back for them and know that He would get them to the other side.
The Jordon River, like the Red Sea, symbolize the struggles in life that we must pass through. We might try doing it on our own and find that we get swept down river, or we can depend on God to get us across on dry land. In the verse, the ark sitting in the center, was God holding back the waters of the Jordan so that His people could cross safely to the other side. We need to keep God in the center of our lives, especially when we are going through struggles. He will get us through those struggles and keep our feet on dry ground.
In John 16:33, Jesus says "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Trials are a part of life, but believers can overcome them by taking heart in His victory over the world and by trusting in God for peace and strength. Tell someone today how God has gotten you through a struggle.