"The Other Three Sixteens" Excerpt
Today we are thrilled to share an excerpt from Malinda Fugate’s book The Other Three Sixteens, available May 12.
“... the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.” - Joshua 3:16
The people had been walking through the wild land for decades. They relied on the Lord for their basic needs as they learned to honor Him with obedient lives. All the while, the promise of a home of their own glistened on the horizon, and they were nearly there. Their parents and grandparents whispered dreams of a land of milk and honey. Now the dreams were soon to be reality. But the path wasn’t clear- a rushing, flood-swollen river stood in their path.
Their leader, Joshua, took the priests carrying the precious Ark of the Covenant to the water’s edge. As their toes touched the cool water, their astonished faces watched as the rushing river stopped flowing! Step by step, the priests carried the ark to the middle of the quickly drying riverbed. The stood steadily there as the entire Israelite population safely crossed to the other shore. Then, men retrieved stones from the river bed to make a monument of remembrance of this miraculous day. Once everyone was across, the priests joined them and the river rushed to fill in the banks once more.
The evidence here of God’s love for His people is remarkable! The Lord cared deeply for His people and safely guided them to the land He had set apart for them. As we turn the pages of the Old Testament, we watch God deliver his people from Egypt’s slavery, sustain them through decades of wilderness wandering, and prepare them for this very time- the actual arrival to the Promised Land. All of this was to fulfill a covenant he lovingly made many generations before. In Deuteronomy 7:9, Moses says, “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”
Now, where do we find ourselves in a miracle that happened thousands of years ago? God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He loves his children now just as fiercely as He loved those who lived in the days of Joshua. God created a path for His people to cross the Jordan River. In their case, it was a literal, physical obstacle that needed to be overcome in order for them to continue on their way. How many times have we hit obstacles? How many challenges have seemed impossible to overcome? Many times, God holds back the waters of pressure, deadlines, adversity, or setbacks in our lives. The prophet Isaiah (in chapter 43, if you’re following along) used this very imagery to explain how God did, does, and will make a way for His people. These promises were initially for the people of that time, but a constant God loves his children constantly. Psalm 34:19 says, “The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.” The timing or result may or may not be what we imagined, but, dear friend, we’ve seen that we serve a God who is a keeper of promises. His Word has been proven true time and time again. He WILL make a way for you, no matter how high your personal river is rising.
Did we notice that God didn’t provide a bridge for the Israelites? Nor did He miraculously fly them over the Jordan. They had to go through it, just as they had to go through the wilderness. But, they didn’t go alone. Remember, the Ark of the Covenant hit the riverbanks long before the rest of the Israelite nation followed. God prepared a way for His people by personally going ahead of them. He was with them in Egypt, with them in the desert, and with them now as they stepped foot into the Land of Promise. God pushed back the flooding waters so that the path was one that all the people, including the women, children, elderly, and even their animals, could travel. It likely still had challenges. If men pulled rocks from the riverbed for their remembrance monument, it means that the bottom of the river was rocky and the people needed to watch their step. Did they have doubts as they crossed a sizeable riverbed that the water might come crashing back before they made it across? Because we certainly have doubts in that time that God is working in our own adversity, when we can’t seem to get to the other side quickly enough. But God took them through it, and God takes us through it. He goes ahead of us and simultaneously stays in that river until we are safely on the other side. He holds back the waters and helps us endure the challenges in our path.
This is one of many tangible ways our Heavenly Father actively nurtures us. The journey to His promises is often full of obstacles and challenges, but it’s also full of His provision and protection. That’s love.
Joshua 3:16 is also featured in Malinda’s book, The Other Three Sixteens, a look at God’s love in the third chapter and sixteenth verse of each book of the Bible. You can find The Other Three Sixteens on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Christianbook.com.
