You Have Not Passed This Way Before

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You Have Not Passed This Way Before

Joshua 3:1-4 Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out from Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over. So it was, after three days, that the officers went through the camp; and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.”

As we know, nothing in the Bible is random. Holy Spirit is the Author of the Bible who inspired the writers and compilers of it to showcase what He wanted His people to know. This passage of Scripture is no exception.

God called, chose and anointed Joshua to be Moses successor as the leader of His people, Israel. Because of his calling, Joshua heard clearly from God as any prophet and leader called by God does. Joshua rose up early every morning of his life to spend time with God, to hear from God, to receive guidance, wisdom and instruction from the Holy Spirit on how to lead the people in God’s way into the success and victory God had already planned and prepared for them. All they had to do was follow God’s instructions and they could enjoy the Promised Land God had set apart for them. Jesus lived the same way. He had and enjoyed a close relationship with the Holy Spirit while He was on earth.

God told Joshua it was time for the people to cross over the Jordan, to begin conquering the land He had promised them. God’s instructions were very specific and detailed, as they always are:

1. He told Joshua to tell the people that when they saw the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD their God, borne by His Levitical priesthood, that they should get ready to move forward.

2. Joshua was to tell the people to keep a space, some distance, between them and the Ark, citing a specific distance to maintain in cubits.

3. They were emphatically told not to come near the Ark, to maintain the distance between them and it in order that they may know which way to go.

4. And He told them why: "For you have not passed this way before."

Holy Spirit is speaking to us through these profound words He gave to Joshua. Let us understand what He is saying to us.

1. OBEDIENCE is the first key Holy Spirit highlights to us if we want to see God’s Best for our lives. We must not and should not just pursue and do what we think is best for us without first consulting with the Holy Spirit whether the road ahead is safe, His, and the right way to our own personalized Promised Land from God.

2. The people of Israel had to rise up and be ready to MOVE ACCORDING TO GOD’s TIMING. Living life out-of-sync with God is a roadmap to disaster. We need to act quickly when we know we have heard the Voice of God speaking to us. Being lazy, second-guessing God and procrastination can keep us from experiencing and living out to the full God’s best for our lives. We do not have the ability to see the end from the beginning as God can (Isaiah 46:10). We tend to make decisions based on ‘I hope so;’ or on wishful thinking citing that, ‘It’s my idea. It has to work.’ But we frequently find ourselves in trouble or at a dead-end because we do not like to wait, or we did not count the cost of the move first (Luke 14:28), We did not Pray First About Everything and wait for an answer, in other words. Staying in-sync with the Spirit of God and moving according to God’s timing will always benefit us in the long-run.

3. We should GET READY, BE READY and STAY READY for a move of God in our lives. Yes, we live each day, going to work, taking care of our families, eating, sleeping, shopping, etc. But we should also live with an eager anticipation for a move of God, as a people ever ready, prepared for the Lord. Be ready and stay ready in season, out of season; when you feel like it, and when you do not. I promise you, you do not want to miss anything God is about to do in your life.

4. KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS is our next instruction. If you want to see God’s best for your life, His wonders performed in and through you, then you need to remain focused. Jesus has to be the focus of your life. All you do and say must be to and for His glory. We need to sanctify our lives, being ever-willing to get rid of what Holy Spirit says is hindering us from realizing all the good things He has for us. Keep your eyes on the Ark of God, on Jesus. He will never lead you astray and He will never take away from you what can help you.

5. HAVING A GODLY PERSPECTIVE is important. That is why we must maintain a reasonable distance in order to see and stay focused on the Big Picture. Come too close and we have only a limited view. A limited view can keep us stuck on one thing when God still has so much more in store for us. God’s perspective of our lives is never limited or restricted to one moment or to only one victory. There are continual moments of glory with God. So keep the promise, the Big Picture, set before you, and you will reach it.

6. KNOWING WHICH WAY TO GO is essential. It gives us a sense of purpose, puts structure in our lives, and gives us hope. But how can we know which way to go unless we spend quality in the Word and with the Lord our God? The Bible is our roadmap and the Holy Spirit is our guide. We need both to arrive at where we are going.

7. YOU HAVE NOT PASSED THIS WAY BEFORE. Each part of our Journey is a new level into where God has ordained for us to be. It is up to us to keep our hearts hungry and thirsty for the Lord. It is up to us to choose to follow Holy Spirit even when the road is long, and we are so easily wearied in waiting. It is up to us to keep doing the right thing especially when nobody else is. We have not passed this way before, but God has. He knows the way we should go. Put your trust and faith In Him.

If we follow God’s way of doing and being as outlined in these seven points, we will see the glory of God manifest in our lives on a regular basis in different situations, and so we will fulfill all the good works He has planned and prepared for us to do pre-earth (Ephesians 2:10).

Meaghan Spies © 2022