Title Trust is Victory
Contents
Hymn: 382
Meditation: God continues to train Israel to trust God thoroughly. Trust is so important, because it is difficult. Trust is victory.
Confession of Faith: Apostles' Creed
Text: “The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground” (Joshua 3:14-17).
Word: The story of Rahab was like a sermon. Through Rahab's confession, the Israelites learned of God's greatness and greatness, and through the process of crossing the Jordan River, they confirm that the story is true once again. After 40 years of living in the wilderness, Israel was not a militarily threatening community. They were very afraid of the Canaanites, where they themselves had a great and vast tribe. God's people must truly realize and believe in the greatness of God in helping them. This belief and trust was more important than any army or operation.
When Israel arrived at the Jordan River, it was overflowing with the most water of the year. In fact, the Jordan River was not a river that usually flows that much water. It is not a coincidence, but it contains the will of God in training Israel. Israel now stands facing the overflowing Jordan River.
The easiest way to cross the Jordan River is by boat. There was no time to prepare a boat to cross with more than 2.5 million people. It was not easy to build bridges or swim across them. From Israel's point of view, God offers an extremely easy and simple method in a situation where there are no sharp numbers. It means to carry the ark and just cross it. It means to cross as if it were just land. God is the One who will let His people cross in any situation. What God wants is to believe in yourself and obey what He tells you to do. The Ark of the Covenant symbolizes God Himself and the Book of the Law, the Word. It means to put God's command first and enter. But the priests took the lead and went in, and as soon as their feet were submerged in the water, the water was cut off and it became dry land.
God's people should rejoice and boast that God is helping them. The more difficult the times, the more we should become a family that trusts God more. If you hesitate and sit, you will not be able to cross the river. May you take the lead to reassure your family and cross the river like land.
Prayer: God, who has helped our family so far, grant us more trust in You so that we can overcome the current crisis with grace. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.