Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the LORD had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. – Joshua 4:10

Today’s Scripture Reading (October 8, 2012): Joshua 4

There is a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode where a primitive culture comes face to face with a God they know of as Picard. Of course, Captain Picard may command the iconic Starship known as Enterprise, but he is not a God. So the futuristic Captain has to explain why it is that he cannot bring back to life the ones who had died in the previous winter – and why it is that he cannot bring the rain that they need right now. The members of the Picard believing culture react by wondering if maybe they had angered their Picard God. They could not understand that the request was simply beyond the humble Captain’s ability.

One of the misconceptions of the Christian faith is that somehow God’s presence in our lives will keep us safe in the common times of this life - fulfilling the desires of our hearts. The belief makes us vulnerable to a faith that is based on our circumstances. If things are going well (and I feel safe), then I can be assured that I am in the center of God’s will. But if things are not going well we think that somehow we have angered our God. It is not that our God is powerless to deliver into our hands the things that we want (like Picard), but sometimes we just do not understand his purpose in our situation – and God’s desire to make us dangerous.

There are a few differences between the crossing of the Red Sea at the beginning of Israel’s journey and the crossing of the Jordan River at the end. One of the differences was that as Israel crossed the Red Sea, Moses stood alone with his arms raised. But as Israel crosses the Jordan, it was the priests that were the first ones to step into the water – and the priests who stood in the center of the river allowing a nation to cross. At the Red Sea, the crossing was done in the midst of panic, but at the Red Sea it was done in the calm of the day. But maybe one of the biggest differences was that at the Red Sea, God and Moses led Israel away from danger into relative peace. But at the Jordan, the process was reversed. God, through his priests, led a nation from peace back into danger. If God wanted to keep his people safe, he would have left them in the desert, fed with the Manna that he would provide. But God wanted something different. He wanted a nation that would be dangerous and change the world.

God still calls us to walk a path, not that will keep us safe, but rather one that will make us dangerous. It is the challenge that each one of us is called to. Are you up for it?

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Joshua 5