You’re about to enter the world of 3D.
As with every three-dimensional adventure, you’ll interact with an immersive environment that creates a sensory experience. A lifelike scene. An enhanced encounter.
This is not an illusion, artificial simulation, or virtual reality. But amazing wonders you’ll see, hear, and touch.
3D aspects of width, height, and depth will bring the spiritual realm up close and personal—with God Himself. So put on your 3D glasses and let’s look at the story in chapter 3 of Joshua.
After the death of Moses, Joshua’s commissioned as leader. The Israelites had been wandering in the desert for forty years. Time came to enter the Promised Land. God’s people set out and arrived at the Jordan River where they lodged for three days. They would need to get to the other side but not take the long way home.
Swollen with spring flood waters, the Jordan was at its peak level.
God gave specific instructions. The priests were to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord (His presence) to the brink of the water. The people were commanded to follow at a distance in order to “know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before” (verse 4 ESV).
Joshua told the people to consecrate themselves for the Lord would do wonders among them (verse 5). When the soles of the priests’ feet rested in the waters, the waters (at flood stage) would stop flowing and stand in a heap (verse 13).
The 3 dimensions we learn from Joshua 3 for Christian living:
Dimension 1. Obedience to God’s commands, plan, and way. Obedience adds width to our spiritual journey. It shows we believe in the power of His Word. It expands our borders of abundant life and broadens our scope of influence for God’s kingdom.
God wants our obedience, not our help.
Can we really help the God of the universe? We often try. In our mind and prayers, we have all the plans laid out and ask God to do it our way. But He always has our greatest interest at heart, concerned for our well-being. His way is best.
Self-help is a popular trend. Friends, we don’t need self-help. We can’t help ourselves. We need God help, the Holy Spirit help, and Jesus help. God help us!
God’s people needed His help to cross the Jordan. On the other side would be a new kind of life. New experiences and a new reality.
As God’s people we need His help to cross the Jordan rivers in our lives. We can do it God’s way or our way. On the other side we’ll find victory and new beginnings. But we have to get across difficult relationships, jobs, hardships, ministry, and seasons in life.
If we do it our way, we may be swept away with flood waters, drown in despair, and become life wanderers.
We’ll never enter the promised destination where abundant life awaits.
Dimension 2. Consecration to God’s Holy and sacred character. It adds height to our spiritual journey—takes us up close to God. He calls His people to holiness, purity, and separation from the world.
God delights in a holy people.
“Joshua told the people, Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you” (Joshua 3:5 NIV).
Consecration involved cleansing in the water at the bank of the river. A spiritual rite for sanctification to a Holy God.
The literal meaning for consecration is “association with the sacred” (Google). We have the privilege to associate with the sacred every day. The Lord Himself.
Associating with Jesus today, expecting amazing for tomorrow!
Dimension 3. Amazing wonders displayed in our lives—the extraordinary. Obedience and consecration leads to this third dimension. It adds depth (deepness) to our spiritual journey.
The Lord’s works and miracles become a reality we can see, hear, and touch. We will be involved in the scene and experience the supernatural.
We walk by faith in the promise of His power. Nothing happened at the Jordan until the priests stepped in by faith and obedience. The miraculous happened . . .”the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan” (verse 17, ESV).
Faith is our firm ground.
As we stand on the banks of the Jordan, God’s capable of making a way. He will walk before us and keep our feet on dry ground.
Put on your spiritual 3D glasses and get ready for amazing wonders! They’re coming, not to a theater near you, but they’re coming to believers near you! Will it be you?!
Featured image courtesy of Adobe Spark.
