Faith-filled Risks

(Jordan River at flood stage)

The river was raging, at its flood stage.  Ten to twelve feet deep, and rushing swiftly enough to knock a man off his feet and sweep him away.  Lungs would fill very quickly with dirty, muddy water and if drowning didn't occur, then very possibly death would occur because of the battering of his body against the stones.

This was the condition of the Jordan River when God told the priests to step into it with the ark of the covenant.  He told Joshua, the new leader of the Israelites, that he would lead the people safely to the other side.  But God didn't dry up the river until the first man put his foot into the water. 

How would you like to be that man?

Could God have caused the river to dry up so the priests could see that they would be safe before they stepped in?  Absolutely.  But He wanted them to follow Him.  To step out in faith.  To believe that He would do what He said.

The priests had to fully commit.  There was no halfway.  There is no gentle sloping of the bank of the Jordan.  They couldn't gradually dip their toes in and then wade in slowly.  The bank drops off sharply.  They had to plunge into the torrent.  There was no turning back.

And it's the same for us today.  Sometimes God shows us what He is going to do ahead of time, but often He wants us to step into the raging river and trust that He will stop the flood.  Faith-filled risks are what the Christian life is about at times. 

As you listen to the Holy Spirit and feel His nudge to move in a particular direction, you may have to step into the raging river.  You may have to blindly follow God and believe that He will do what He said.  You have to trust what you know you have heard God tell you to do.  

Is God telling you to step into the torrent?  Does He want you to trust Him in a particular area of your life?  Perhaps it's starting a new job or ministry.  Maybe it's trusting Him in tithing.  Perhaps it's following Him to a new country or land to do His work?  

Can you trust Him even if you can't see the other side of the bank?  Trust Him.  Follow Him.  Step out in faith.  Don't dabble your toes in the current.  If you are committed to following God, that may mean plunging into the current.  Step into the river and see what He can do.

Take that faith-filled risk today!