Bible Verse of the Day Saturday August 12th, 2023

Joshua 4:23-24   For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.”

The early history of Israel covers one miracle after another. The parting of the waters of the Jordan was one. From the miracles of the plagues in Egypt; the rolling back of the Red Sea; the quail, the manna, and the waters of Marah in the wilderness; and now in the parting of the Jordan River, Joshua could see God's hand in delivering, protecting and providing for the children of Israel.

Joshua was aware that we often forget the blessings God has given us. Joshua was not so concerned about his generation. What they had witnessed, he felt they could never forget. Joshua realized that it is often different from subsequent generations. Parents often fail in not reminding their children how God has blessed their lives over the years.

Although there has been no parting of the literal waters of the actual Jordan River in our lives or our past generations, the waters of many symbolic "Jordans" have parted, enabling us to pass safely over. God has brought us safely through times of economic adversity; illness and disease; discouragement and distress; doubt and fear; physical danger; loneliness; feelings of hopelessness and despair, to mention a few.

God demonstrates his love to us in many ways, not just in parting symbolic Jordan rivers, but because He is a loving and forgiving God. He knows we would be lost without His leading and guiding hands, seeing us through the many storm-tossed seas we must navigate. God parted the Jordan River that day for Joshua and the children of Israel not only because it stood between them and the land that He had promised their Father, Abraham, but so the world could see the power of God. 

There will be many symbolic rivers between us and God's many promises. Our human instincts will be to build a bridge or construct a boat, but God tells us to stand still, and we will see the salvation of the Lord (Exodus 14:13-14). If we stand firm before our enemy and use the only offensive weapon God has given us, the Sword of the Spirit, The Word of God, our enemy will flee, he cannot stand up to God's Word (Ephesians 6:17).