Today’s Scripture Reading (November
24, 2015): Joshua 3
The
contemporary Christian Church has a trust issue. We don’t seem to trust anyone –
including God. I was distressed as I read social media responses to the Paris
attacks earlier this month. What I found were Christians advocating the taking
up of weapons by private citizens to wipe the offending people off of the map.
I saw Christians calling Islam a “garbage religion” (we must find a way to
differentiate between what our media calls the radicalized believer in Islam
and our Muslim neighbors and brothers and sisters.) I watched as godly people
called for a halt of humanitarian aid and assistance to Syrian refugees because
there might be a few radicals that intend to harm us in the mix. If our
character is defined by how we react in the worst moments, I have to admit that
I didn’t enjoy seeing the Christian character that was revealed by the Paris
attacks. It is something that the Church needs to pay attention to – it is a
growth area where we need desperately to grow.
I know that
the Paris attacks, followed by reports of other attacks that were “in the pipeline”
and may include some prominent European and North American centers, is a scary
thought. One friend admitted that his response was born out of fear. Which
brings me back to my original thought, do we trust God? Even a little bit?
Repeatedly the Bible gives us this image that there is nothing to fear because
God is in control – he is still on the throne. In the great prophetic passage
of Matthew 24, Jesus instructs his followers to continue with life and to pay
attention to the Gospel teachings even in the face of wars and rumors of wars. Jesus
said -
Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’
and will deceive many. You
will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed.
Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
All these are the beginning of birth
pains (Matthew 24:5-8 emphasis mine).
I understand that the flood waters seem to be rising, but God is still
the Lord of the Flood. We can keep our trust in him.
Every time I read this passage I have to admit that it brings into focus
my trust. Let me set the stage for you. The River Jordan is at flood stage.
There is a generation of people who have known only sand and the occasional
spring, and when you are not used to it (or even I you are used to it), any
river at flood stage is scary sight. But God’s instruction is that Israel is to
cross this scary body of water. But the water will not stop until the priests
step into the water. If the priests have faith and are willing to step into the
rushing water, then the water will stop. But only if they have faith.
And so the priests step into the water. The water stops and the priests
are instructed to walk to the center of the river and stand. I am not sure that
I would have been happy with those instructions. I would want to get across the
river as quickly as I could – like, before the flood returns. But then again, I
am not on the throne – God is.
Even though they knew that the flood waters were going to return, the
priests maintained their ground in the center of the river. They waited for
every straggler to cross, every animal of the flock to find its way to its new
home. I hope that at least one priest impatiently encouraged the slow to cross
the dry riverbed just a little faster, because I am pretty sure that if I was
standing in the center of the river that that would have been me. But they
stood their ground, under great stress and the promise of the river’s return,
and they did for only one reason – because God said so.
We are facing our own floodwaters, but let me encourage you with the
words of Jesus – see to it that you are not alarmed. We are the ones who should
calm in the face of terror, because we have heard the voice of God. All of
these things have to happen. But we know that God is still on the throne.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Joshua
4
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