My Isaac Part 8 He Will Make a Way

  During a spring revival, a preacher asked the question, 

“Why did they wait on the banks of the Jordan?” 

He was referring to the account in Joshua 3:1 where the children of Israel came to Jordan and lodged there three days before passing over. I’m not sure why they waited for three days, but the preacher made an interesting application with the story. He said that if you stand too long on the banks of what God wants you to do, you will never cross over because sin enters in. It’s not the size of the Jordan that’s important, it’s who you’re trusting. The Jordan will always be there, even if you close your eyes. God opened up the Red Sea, and he can get you over Jordan, but the water won’t part until you put your feet into the water.

Joshua 3:1,13 And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.

 As I thought about this message, I began to jot down my own thoughts. The first time we plunge into that water is when we get saved. But as we make our way along this journey there are so many other times that Jesus calls us to the water's edge, and says, “Just take the first step and I’ll part the water for you.” But how many times does our pride or our fear keep us from stepping out in faith, to do something that the Lord has put before us? How often do we just camp out for a while until we spot a trail going off in another direction, and convince ourselves that this is the way God really meant for us to go? Sometimes God has to bring us back to that riverbank many times before we are willing to surrender our will, and step out in faith and follow him.

Soon my notes turned into a song, 

He Will Make a Way

 

Are you standing on the banks of the Jordan,
wondering how you will ever make it through?
Just stop looking at the depth of the water.
Put your eyes on the one who walks with you.

Step out in faith and follow Jesus, he’ll lead the whole way through.
Just as he’s done for others, he'll make a way for you.~
When the Israelites came to the river,

God said he would make a way.
But God didn’t part the waters until they took a step of faith.

Step out in faith and follow Jesus, he’ll lead the whole way through.
Just as he’s done for others, he'll make a way for you.
Just step out in faith and follow Jesus, he’s waiting there for you.
Many times before, you've come to your Jordan,

but you’ve chosen to go another way.
Now you’re walking down a pathway filled with heartache.
Jesus waits by the riverside today.
Step out in faith and follow Jesus, he’ll lead the whole way through.
Just as he’s done for others, he'll make a way for you.
When you came to the banks of this river,

God said he would make a way,

but God doesn't part the water until you take that step of faith.

Step out in faith and follow Jesus, he’ll lead the whole way through.
Just as he’s done for others, he'll make a way for you.
Just step out in faith and follow Jesus, he’s waiting there for you.
Step into the water, he’ll make a way for you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An excerpt from my book:

I'm constantly amazed at how many times I've written a song or a devotion, only to find out, months or even years down the road, that it was written for me. I had no idea when I wrote "He Will Make A Way," that three years later it would speak to me! I suddenly realized that I'd been pacing up and down that riverbank, waiting for the Lord to show up in a boat, put a life jacket on me and paddle me across to the other side! But that's not the way it works, and I knew that. So, I finally took the plunge...I didn't put my toe in to check the temperature, I didn't look to see if there were any sharp rocks, and I left my stack of life jackets on the shore! I called our foster care support worker, and simply told her, "I can't do this anymore." Was it easy? No. Would saying goodbye to our little girl be easy? No. Had we made the right decision? Yes! The water was wonderful!

 A note about Muffy...she was placed in a home where she is the only child...just what she needed. We've kept in touch with them over the years, and although her placement has not been without difficulties, Muffy became a permanent part of this family and is now a beautiful teenager. 

I know we made the right decision, even though the path on the other side of that river is not at all what we expected! Hindsight is a wonderful thing....but walking by faith is so much more rewarding!

2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

To be continued....Part 9

You can follow the series here:  Our Foster Adoption Story

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