During a presentation I gave on customer service, I asked this question: “When you get lost, do you pull over and ask for directions or keep driving?” Without hesitation, most of the audience said they keep driving. Their response made me think – most of us would rather find our own way out of a tough situation than ask for help. Maybe it’s determination. Maybe it’s pride. Often however, it’s foolish, for we’re usually the reason we’re in the difficult situation in the first place.
Sometimes, the easiest way out of a tough situation is to follow someone who knows the way. That’s what Joshua and the Israelites did in this passage. Notice that the priests went into the Jordan River (the bridge to the promised land) first, and they had the ark of the covenant (a symbol of God’s presence) with them. In other words, the Israelites let the Lord lead them. And, I can’t think of a better tour guide for the journey from trouble to triumph.
This recharge is a simple reminder: let God lead. Instead of finding your way out, trust the One who knows the end before it begins. If you “trust in the Lord with all your heart; (and) do not depend on your own understanding. (If you) seek His will in all you do, (then) He will show you which path to take” (Proverbs 3:5-6, New Living Translation).