Joshua 3: 7-11, 13-17 Final Instructions and Crossing the Jordan "Yahweh said to Joshua, ‘This very day, I shall begin to make you great in the eyes of all Israel so that they will know that, as I was with Moses, so I shall be with you.’..."

Psalm 114: 1-6 Passover Hymn   "…The sea fled at the sight, the Jordan turned back!..."

Matthew 18: 21 - 19:1  Forgiveness of injuries and Parable of the unforgiving debtor  "…’Were you not bound then, to have pity on your fellow-servant just as I had pity on you?’…"

In thinking about today’s reading in Joshua, I found myself wondering who Joshua was.  I knew his name, but not what story he was linked to. Sometimes the names run together for us, particularly when reading in the Old Testament.  It’s a feeling similar to greeting a relative you haven’t seen in ages.  When you come upon them you barely recognize them, but you remember their story.   Joshua was a prophet, the son of Nun and Moses’ adjutant, and by crossing the Jordan, He led the Israelites to the land that had been promised by God to their ancestors.

In today’s reading God tells Joshua He will make him great in the eyes of all Israel, and they will know that He is with them as He had been with Moses.  Joshua is to tell the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, to halt in the Jordan itself upon reaching the brink of the waters.  All of the Israelites are instructed to watch and Joshua says ‘By this, you are to know that the living God is with you…’ .  (Jos 3:10).  The waters halted and the people crossed on dry ground.  I couldn’t help but marvel at how present God was to the people of that period long ago.   God was real to them again.  From time to time in our history we have needed assurance as to how real God is, that which we can not see.  In many ages God raised up prophets.  Even today we have holy men and women whose lives demonstrate a knowledge of the reality of God.

Why do we in our history, fade in and out from believing God exists? Maybe we believe God exists, but we don’t give God our everyday attention.  When we read about the people in the days of Joshua, we think I wish we had a prophet who could tell us what God wants us to hear.  The truth is hearing God’s voice is much closer to each of us than we comprehend.  Mary knew what God wanted from her in her life and so can we.  Jesus, talking human form knew the Father’s will as well, and so have many saints.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, an everyday miracle of communication with our Supreme Being is possible in all of our lives.   We too can know the will of the I AM-Father-God-Yahweh, because God is willing to talk to each of us everyday, the only thing missing is our submission.  Humbly and with contrite hearts we each can approach as often as we like.

Help us Lord to understand that which we can not see.  Come Spirit of God, open our hearts so that daily we might pray, speak Lord, your servant is listening.  Dispel my unbelief, so that great things might be done in your Kingdom.  Then when in Matthew we read forgive those who injure us, and forgive our debtors as we have been forgiven of debt, we will be able to make the choice the Father is directing.

Let us climb out of the space we are in and believe in the Magnificence of the Almighty.  We can’t bring civility to this world without knowing God.  Today and each day, let us reach out for the help that is just around the corner.  The Holy Spirit will insure we understand, if we but ask.