For those who don’t know I am currently in Georgia. Why am I here? Well, my organization does a follow-up week for us as World Racers to help us enter back into our lives in America and honestly, I wasn’t expecting to even come to it. That’s why I’m writing this blog: for other Racers who think that going to Project Searchlight is simply too much effort. This is how it is challenging me to continue my walk with the Lord well and that is the best reason to be somewhere.
Last night we had a session filled with incredible worship. The worship that the whole atmosphere changes because everyone in the room has chosen to lay down their worries and just praise Jesus in that moment. One of our songs is called No Longer Slaves and this song has lyrics that say this:
You split the sea
So I could walk right through it
My fears were drowned in perfect love
You rescued me
So I could stand and sing
I am a child of God
I stood their soaked in the presence of God and started to consider what those words mean. Every person who knows me well knows my love for the scriptures and in that moment I pondered how the Israelites crossed both the Red Sea (or the Sea of Reeds for those of you who enjoy technical details) and the Jordan River. Yes, it actually happened twice that these people of the Lord crossed a body of water on dry land. Bonus thought: As slaves coming out of Egypt, many of the Israelites were terrified of water. Few of them had learned to swim and so many viewed the Nile as a source of death.
The first account is found in Exodus 14:26-31.
Here is the kind of miracle that you may expect, a miracle demonstrating the power of God. Moses lifting his staff in obedience to the Lord and through that seeing the Israelites greatest fear step to the side.
The second account you can find in Joshua 3:14-17.
This is the account that was standing out to me as I worshipped through this song. There is a natural phenomenon that takes place at the Jordan during this period of time. It was a build up in the river, like a natural dam. Every so often this natural barrier would build up to the point that the water would begin to recede and dry just a small section of land. People have often mentioned when learning this: “Oh, well that miracle wasn’t much of a miracle then was it?” However, I have always found this miracle so much more intriguing than the first! God had known from the beginning of time that His people would be at this location during this specific point and He planned to meet their needs. He alleviated their fears and showed Himself once again as a God full of provision. The waters didn’t happen to recede as the Israelites stepped into the river, this was a planned out moment from the Lord for His people.
I sang these words and felt the application touch my heart. I’m standing here at a river, one that looks quite intimated I might add. Here I stand and the Lord reveals to me: I have known you would need to cross this river. I have planned it from the beginning of time. These waters will recede and your fear will not touch you, not one single drop.
How beautiful is that? God came through for the Israelites in both power and love. Sometimes, the display of Himself is in a long beautiful planned out process showing how incredibly in control He really is.
I’m going to cross this river with complete confidence as a child of God that through the waters and on the other side is my Jesus who is walking every step of the way with me. I am quite thankful for the time I have had here at PSL to reflect on the greatness of Him.
