Thursday Devotional - Timely Encouragement

Once Israel crossed the Jordan River they were in the promised land, but still had a big job ahead of them to conquer all the people that lived there. Unless they swam back across the river, they were stuck! Maybe that’s another reason God miraculously stopped up the Jordan – it would force them to rely on Him and move forward in faith.

As added encouragement, the timing of when they crossed the Jordan was sovereignly planned by God. He had it that they crossed over just in time to celebrate the Passover! According to Exodus 12-13, it was to be celebrated once they were in the promised land on the 14^th day of the first month of the year (year after year) to remember God mightily bringing them out of Egypt.

   

Joshua 5:9-12           Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the place has been called Gilgal to this day.

¹⁰ On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover.¹¹ The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. ¹² The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.

Not only did God bring the Israelites into the promised land exactly 40 years after bringing them out of Egypt, right in time to celebrate the Passover, but He had them experience the wonderful food of the land before removing His miraculous provision of manna. God continued to prepare, encourage and stretch the Israelites in order for them to accomplish His purposes and receive His blessings.

In the midst of overwhelming changes, we can also look for God’s timely encouragement. We can choose to recognize all His help, preparation and encouragement or wallow in the seemingly daunting tasks ahead. Which will you choose?   

Alice