We begin this morning with a set of questions. Why does it take a crisis to drive us to God? Why does it take trouble to send us to our knees? Have you noticed that the only time we’re open to God’s power and help is when we are faced with the impossibility of the situation? Only when the task is overwhelming do we ever experience our own lack and dependence on God. So it was for the Israelites in our scripture for this morning. Moses had just died. Now Joshua was their leader. So they had the crisis of new leadership. But that wasn’t the biggest crisis. After 40 years of wandering in the desert, the people of God were ready to cross over into the Promised Land.

 

A very telling detail is the note in v. 2 that the people camped beside this swollen river for three days. You see, the river was at flood stage. It was spring time and the snows were melting off of Mt. Herman. That along with the spring rains filled the banks of the River Jordan to overflowing. So here may be a clue as to why three days. Three long days to ponder? Worry? Stew? Maybe three long days to come to the end of themselves and their own resources. To be humble and broken.

 

And here’s another possibility: v. 5 states, “Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” I don’t know about you, but I like to find everyday words to help us get at Bible words, church words like “sanctify”. Here’s what I think that means. They had three days to bring their own lives in alignment with God’s purposes. A.W. Tozer has a great essay in one of his books entitled, “Miracles Follow The Plow.” It’s a great spiritual insight. Yes, God does wonders among us. But guess what? God most often does those miracles when we’ve plowed and done the spiritual preparation.

 

So the next morning, God was ready to lead them. The Ark of the Covenant (representing the very presence of God) was usually in the midst of the people, among them. But now, the priests carried the Ark and led with it, saying, in so many words, “Follow God!”  So here we have it. Last week, we learned that faith has eyes. But here we learn FAITH HAS FEET. We can say we trust God, but do we really follow?

 

Someone pointed out that the Hebrew verb for “cross over” appears 22 times in Joshua 3-4! Constant movement and change! Don’t you suppose that among the Israelites, at least one person was think, “Since God delivered us from Egyptian slavery, I plan to just sit and soak it up, sit on my blessed assurance and watch the world go by.” How about you? Did you remember that faith has feet? Did you remember that when Jesus bids us to come and follow him, that means movement and change?

 

Here is an image that I want us to hold in our minds as we think about putting feet to our faith. The other day I was following a truck, as it drove slowly toward the construction site at highways 179 and 50. It was one of those Ready Mix Concrete trucks. Of course, you know how you can tell if the cement truck is moving toward its construction site or away from it?  It’s simple. If the big drum is turning slowly, you know the truck is full of wet concrete. The drum continues to churn and keep the concrete from setting up. If the drum is not turning, you can be sure the truck is empty. So in our lives. God keeps us churning, on the move. Change comes to our lives so that we don’t “set up” and become hard. And if we ever reach the place where we aren’t moving, changing, growing, we’d better check, because we might be empty!

 

But notice that feet not only followed, but also had to commit. My very favorite part of this whole story is described in vv. 15: “So when…the feet of the priests bearing the Ark were dipped in the edge of the water, the waters flowing from above stood still, rising up to a single heap…” So here is a spiritual principle: what God has pledged to us must be claimed by faith. This is true of our salvation. Christ has died and been raised. All those spiritual blessings of life with God and forgiveness of sins are waiting. But must be claimed. We must step into the water. It’s true of our prayer lives. It’s true about the swollen rivers of our lives, those obstacles that we feel we cannot get across.

 

So, let’s review, boys and girls. When did the flow of the flooded river stop? When they took a correspondence course on faith? When they held a revival meeting and sang and preached about faith? When they all started journaling and wrote, “I want to have more faith”? No. The waters stopped when they actually stepped in. Faith has feet! We want to reverse that process, don’t we? “God, show me what you’ve got. Show me your power, and then I’ll trust.” God says, “Huh-uh, nothing doing.” We have to step out into the water first. Take God at God’s word. Commit.

 

But you and I have heard more than our share of simplistic Sunday School lessons and sermons on this text (and lo, I have preached my share!). What does this text have to say to those who don’t find faith so easy? To those who’ve lost their way? Well, isn’t it saying that at times we have to do what the Israelites did? When the way is dark, when the path of faith seems impossible, just put one foot in front of the other. And even when you can’t do it on your own, the fact that you are marching in step with others helps carry you. We come to church sometimes and we don’t really believe the choruses and hymns, but others can sing for us. We come to church sometimes and we don’t really believe the sermon, but the preacher not only preaches TO us, the preacher preaches FOR us.

 

I love the story about the young man who’d lost his faith. Later, after he had recovered his spiritual equilibrium, someone asked him how he did it. He pointed to a friend and said, “You did it. You held on to God, and I held on to you.” Can’t you just see the Israelites, holding hands, helping each other cross the river?

           

Ultimately we know that nothing can harm us. For if God has gone before us (remember, the Ark of the Covenant went before them), then we know wherever we are, God has been there first! Years ago my family and I were faced with a new ministry opportunity. It was exciting, but scary, too. It involved a different kind of ministry. We were young in the ministry, and had a young family. Someone gave me a plaque as a going away present when we left to start that new work. It read: “The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you.” Yes, faith has feet. When we step out and trust, God works.