When It's One of Those Days

Joshua 1:1-9
Not every day is a “crossing-the-Jordan” kind of day, and that’s a good thing. When I say a “crossing-the-Jordan” kind of day I don’t mean the day we die, though that is one way of understanding it. What I mean is a day where big decisions are made about the big questions in life. On a “crossing-the-Jordan” kind of day you may feel you are being swept along by events as much as taking deliberative steps. Some may call this “crossing the Rubicon”; it’s the same idea. But no, not every day is a “crossing-the-Jordan” kind of day, and that’s a good thing because we couldn’t handle it everyday. But then some days are exactly like that. According to our Old Testament reading Joshua was having one of those days, one of those momentous, everything-will-be-different, nothing-will-ever-be-the-same-again days, because he and the people were literally going to cross the Jordan River into the promised land and their life as the people of God was going to take on entirely new dimensions.

The good news was that they weren’t going alone. “Be strong and courageous,” God told Joshua, “do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). Notice that God did not say “take it easy, Joshua, there are going to be no problems at all. This will be the easiest thing you ever do.” What God did was promise to be there, wherever the people went, whatever they faced. “Be strong and courageous,” God said, which meant to be prepared for hard work. But God also said to stay calm.

I’ve had a number of those “crossing-the-Jordan” kind of days in my life. There are some that I accepted with joy and anticipation and some that I dreaded. Ultimately I’ve come through them with a new perspective, a new understanding of who I am. When I’ve bothered to look I’ve realized that God has been with me throughout. Those days haven’t been easy, but they have been important, essential even, for my growth and development as a person. It’s good to know that the promise God made to Joshua holds true for us as well. God is with us, wherever we go, guiding and sustaining. We may need to be “strong and courageous,” but we needn’t be afraid. Ultimately God will bring us to where we need to be.

Prayer: Lord, bless our faltering steps along the road of discipleship, whether we are “crossing the Jordan” or not, and help us to live to your glory. Amen.