Flood Stage

We get a lot of rain where I live. Recently, our weatherman reported that about the longest we go without rain is 7 or 8 days. Depending on how heavy it is, our area is at risk for flooding and flash floods. If you've ever experienced a flood, you know that high water is nothing to play with.

In Joshua 3, the Israelites are directed to cross the Jordan River in order to take possession of the land God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. At the time they were to cross, the Jordan was at flood stage (v. 15).  A flooded river is a very dangerous thing. Not only is the water deep, it is moving quickly with strong currents that can easily carry a person away. Even so, the directive Joshua receives from the Lord is to have the Levitical priests take the ark of the covenant and step into the river and stand still (v. 8).

As a leader, it is your responsibility to lead your followers well. You analyze situations, assess risk, gather resources, and whatever else is necessary to ensure that your goal is met successfully and that everyone who is following you makes it to the end with you. This requires faith and trust from the followers; and faithfulness and trustworthiness from the leader. Joshua followed God's instructions because he had faith in Him and he trusted that God was going to fulfill the promise He had made to the Israelites. The Levitical priests followed Joshua's instructions because they had faith in his leadership as he followed God and they trusted that he was the leader God had given them to bring them into the land of promise. They did as they were told and stepped into the floodwater.

It takes great faith to be a spiritual leader. Much time is spent cultivating relationship with the Lord and gaining understanding of the word. As these develop, God's will is recognized and instructions are received. Sometimes outrageous and dangerous instructions – like go stand in the Jordan River during flood stage. Directions like this test and strengthen leaders. How the orders are executed reveal the faith of the leader. Joshua and the priests revealed that they not only had faith in God, but in each other as well.

If you are a leader, be encouraged by the example of Joshua and the Levitical priests. They received impossible instructions with a promise. The Lord declared that He would do wonders among them (v. 5) and he would take care of the water (v. 13). They could have chosen to not to believe God or to doubt each other's ability to carry out their mandate. Instead, they trusted in the Lord and experienced a miracle.

If you are a follower, know that your spiritual leader may have received some difficult instructions from the Lord. Faith and trust are cultivated over time by observation and experience. Experience often comes in the form of a test, just like Joshua and the priests. And you will never gain experience if you don't have an experience. Just like your leader, you need to spend time cultivating your relationship with the Lord and gain understanding of the word. As you do, you also will know what God's will is; and when He tells your leader what the plan is, you'll be ready to follow because you are in alignment with Him. Even straight into the flood.