Making a Difference through Faith
Joshua 3:1-8
The average person judges ability by what seems logical, but the difference maker judges ability by faith.
The winter of 1777 was bitterly cold in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. While snow was scarce, freezing rain and cold winds swept through the valley. Washington's army of exhausted soldiers filed into the valley and made camp for what would be six long months of waiting. Washington's selection of Valley Forge to make camp for the winter was a strategic one as it kept nearby British troops from pillaging American towns in Pennsylvania.
As the men waited out the winter, conditions began deteriorating. Food was in short supply, clothing was tattered and worn out, quarters were close, and disease spread quickly. Washington begged Congress to send reinforcements and supplies, yet Congress was unable to provide help. For six months Washington's men stayed in Valley Forge, waging a mental battle of wills against the British who wished to drive through to Philadelphia. Eventually, the British gave up and re-routed their men toward New York. Washington's group of exhausted soldiers had won the battle.
The average historian would point to the fortitude and determination of the soldiers at Valley Forge to explain their supernatural survival in extreme conditions, yet that wasn't what got them through. The famous picture of George Washington kneeling in prayer next to his horse in the valley tells of his faith and dependence upon God to sustain him and his men. Washington's faith in God made the difference at Valley Forge.
Like George Washington, Joshua's faith made a difference early on in his days as Israel's leader. Not long after God set him as head of the Israelites, Joshua was given the task of crossing the Jordan River. While nothing like the Red Sea, the Jordan River was still difficult to cross. Joshua knew that God would have to provide a miracle to help with the crossing, yet He obeyed God and trusted His provision.
Joshua knew what God wanted him to do, but he saw the physical limitations of crossing the river. Rather than giving in to the fears he probably felt, Joshua commanded the people to cross the river through faith. Joshua's faith made the difference at the Jordan River, and he watched as God stopped the river's waters so His people could cross.
Faith makes a difference. The average person judges ability by what seems logical, but the difference maker judges ability by faith. If you wish to make a difference for the cause of Christ, you must rely on God's power, and choose to step out by faith.
What Jordan River are you facing today? What circumstance seems insurmountable according to logic? Don't give in to fear, but step out by faith. God promises to provide for you as you trust Him, and He has never broken one of His promises, become a difference maker by taking that step of faith today.
Daily Bible Reading
1 Samuel 15-16 | Luke 10:25-42
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