Organizing the Inside – Day 196 When Barriers Overflow

March 17, 2012 at 5:00 pm · Filed under Encouragement, Faith, Inspiration, Purpose, Wisdom, Women's Ministry and tagged: Jordan, Joshua

15It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge, 16the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho.

17Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by. They waited there until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan on dry ground. Joshua 3:15-17 (NLT)

The Jordan River’s banks were overflowing.
The Jordan represents that thing in your life that is keeping you from reaching all that God has promised. That hard thing in your life is a barrier. It may be a bad habit, a fear, a situation or whatever is standing in your way from entering into that place called “God’s Will.” We’ve all been held back by challenges and hindrances before. These are those things that seem to be hard to get rid of; these are a type of spiritual clutter. Holding you back and slowing you down, barriers are tough to face; but God has a solution. Just remember when problems seem to overflow or get worse, this is likely the time when God is about to show His power.

The Ark of the Covenant was carried to the Jordan.
The Ark of the Covenant represented the presence of God; it is also a type of Word of God. Yes, inside the Ark of the Covenant was the Word of God and other things of significance (that I will deal with in a later post). The priest took the Word to the barrier or problem.  They obeyed God’s instructions and He met the Israelites at their point of need. If we would simply take the Word of God to the barrier, God will remove it. Remember this: the power of the promise is in the promise itself.

So how does one take the Word of God to the spiritual clutter or hard thing in your life that is holding you back? Here are a few steps we can glean from the book of  Joshua:

1. Purify yourself before the Lord; get ready for God to do something big. Make certain you don’t have anything in your life that you need to deal with and confessed to God. (read 3:5)

2. Proclaim the truth about what God is about to do! Here is where you step out on faith. Forget about what people may say or think. Joshua knew God was about to do something big and he started telling people to get ready. Joshua started proclaiming the power of God first. He trusted God to do what He said He would do. (read 3:9-13)

3. Walk straight ahead toward your dream and purpose. The land of Canaan represents God’s will for our lives. The place where everything you need to do His will is. “God’s Will” is the place where we find peace and rest from the wilderness. (read 3:3)

4. Take the Word of God and apply it to the situation. Agree with and obey God’s Word. What does the Word say about those barriers in your life? What does the Word tell you to do, and believe? Just as the priest took the Ark to the water and stood on its edge; take the Word to your problem. Stand there and wait for God to show His mighty power at work in your life. God will stop the problem from continuing to flow. You can then move forward on dry land to cross over, and live out His will for your life. (read 3:15, 16)

No matter how big your barrier, God is able and willing to move anything that obstructs your progress. Trust Him and obey His instructions. God wants the world to know that His hand is powerful, and He wants us to remember, and fear Him. (read Joshua 4:24) The power of God at work in the life of a believer is an awesome testimony. Finally, make sure when you are asked about your hope, you are ready to give an answer. Tell the story about how God’s grace saved you, and His power removed the barriers and changed your life. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 1Peter 3:15 (KJV)

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