Joshua 3:2-3
After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it.
After God showed Joshua His plan, Joshua immediately called upon offices to instruct everyone what to do. The premises for Joshua's success was his clear understanding of what needed to be done at the time, and then instructing everyone to follow. The stagnation of church's ministry today is because we know neither the direction, nor the path forward. That's why when we say: "Go forward", brothers and sisters do not go forward. Joshua was a person who not only know how to go forward, but also know how to instruct. This was the reason that Israelites become the most obedient army of that time.
Here, Joshua told everyone clearly two things: First, they will cross the river. Even though no one knew how God would part the water, the goal was clear, i.e. to cross the river. This was God's plan, and this was God's lead. When God leads us, sometime we only need to know that God will carry us through, not necessarily how God will clear the road for us in our current circumstance. But we need to have confidence in God's promise. Once Jesus said to the disciples, "Let's go over to the other side." The Lord said, let us go over to the other side, meaning we would "definitely" go over to the other side. Even though there was big storm on their way to the other side, during which disciples were all frightened to death, the promise of the Lord would not change. The Lord could sleep peacefully during the storm. Once He gives His word, it will be fulfilled.
Second, Joshua instructed them to follow the Ark. How would they cross the river? Simply follow the Ark. Where would Ark go? We don't know. But their responsibilities were to follow the Ark. Wherever Ark went, they went. This is how we shall follow the Lord. Ark represents the presence of the Lord. When we search for the path of God, we need to focus our attentions, focusing on the Lord, focusing on where the Lord is going. We likes to listen to others: guessing where my boss is going, where my family is going, where I'd like to go. But we seldom consider: Lord, where are you going? It's no surprise that we don't see the presence of the Lord. When we don't pay attention to the Lord, we easily go astray.
Last, when Ark departs, we need to follow. Verse three says, "you are to move out from your positions and follow it." It's not easy to leave the place where we live. Here, "your positions" represents the familiar life and familiar people. When the Lord asks us to leave and go forward, we should be glad to drop all these to follow the Lord. Brothers and sisters, are you willing to put down these many burdens of life to follow the Lord? May God's spirit draw you closer so that you will run to follow Him.
Lord, if there were bondages and burdens in our past that made us unable to know you deeper, may the Lord break those bondages so that we can follow you today. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!
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