“So the people left their camp to cross the Jordan, and the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them.” Joshua 3:14 NLT
A major cause in failing to succeed in conquering new territory is the failure to make a total commitment to see it through. There may be legitimate reasons for the hesitation such as; being in new territory you haven’t been there before, there is a reluctance to leave your current comfort space, and fear of the unknown ahead of you are some reasons to take a step back and not totally commit. Unfortunately some new territory we are to conquer is beyond our control and we need to do our best to conquer it. Certain life situations will not allow us the luxury of putting off the change that is necessary in our lives. We need to act, making the commitment to see it through until completion.
The good news is we do not need to do it alone. As Christians we have the Holy Spirit to guide us along the way. The Lord God will lead us into our new territory. There is nothing that takes God by surprise. He is aware of everything that comes into our lives, and in fact is a part of His sovereign will. If the Lord has new territory for us to conquer according to His will, we can be sure He has already put in place the necessary means to conquer it.
The children of Israel had new territory to conquer in entering the land God had promised them. Not only would they face battles in capturing each city, but the first battle they faced was to cross the Jordan River at flood stage. Once across the Jordan, there would be no easy retreat back from the armies of the major cities. The time had come for all Israel to make a total commitment of faith to the Lord God. Israel did just that under Joshua’s leadership. After the spies returned with a good report, Joshua wasted no time in preparing to continue on with the Lord’s plan. We read in Joshua 3:1, “Early the next morning Joshua and all the Israelites left Acacia Grove and arrived at the banks of the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing.”
Along the Jordan River for the next three days Joshua and his officers instructed the hundreds of thousands of Israelites in the procedure of crossing over. They were to follow the Levitical priests who would be carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, following at a distance of a half mile behind so all would be able to see it. The Lord would be leading them for they had not travelled that way before. Joshua also commanded them to purify themselves, an outward cleansing and an inward devotion to God. This was a solemn occasion and they were about to see the Lord God do miraculous things.
Israel witnessed the great power of God that their fathers saw forty years earlier when they witnessed the parting of the Red Sea. The Lord commanded the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant to step into the Jordan River and upon descending from the river banks the water started to back up upstream twenty miles away in the city of Adam. The nation of Israel then crossed the Jordan River on dry ground. The Lord God was aiding Israel in their venture of conquering their new territory. The nation totally committed by faith, obedience, courage, and devotion to God the plan in bringing them into the Promised Land.
Whatever new territory we are in or about to enter, let us learn from the example of Joshua and the nation of Israel. The Lord desires that we be totally committed to Him and the plans He has for us. He always has our best interests at heart and nothing in His plans are designed to hurt us but for us to be successful and to grow spiritually in Him. Paul writes in the book of Romans encouraging words for us as we totally commit to God in conquering our new territory, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
Read Joshua 3 Total Commitment, The Israelites Cross the Jordan: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua+3&version=NLT
Word for the Soul 