This post is part of the Five Minute Friday link-up . A weekly one-word prompt and five minutes to write what’s on your mind and heart, unedited (hmmm…). The prompt this week is WHERE. Here goes –

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

In the book of Numbers Moses gets a bad report form the spies he sent into the promised land. Well the report wasn’t all bad, it was indeed a land of milk and honey and the spies brought back to goods to prove it. It was the people living in the space between them and the promised land that worried the spies. Caleb was the only holdout who believed they should by all means go up and take possession of the land. He believed they would surely overcome it (Numbers 13:30).

The spies then became adamant against the idea, believing the inhabitants were too strong (vs. 31) for them. These people were like giants (vs. 32) and lived in fortified cities (vs. 28) for goodness sake! How could a band (albeit a large band) of nomads overtake such an adversary? Getting passed these giants would be difficult. The spies observing this felt small and fragile, seeing themselves like grasshoppers (Vs. 33) to be crushed. They must have been convincing because their doubt and fear influenced a nation. The people were defeated standing still.

God promised a destination for the Israelites, instead they believed what they saw in themselves, so He paused the plan. Time for an attitude adjustment. How is your attitude? Are you fearful of what lies between now and what’s next? Do you doubt God’s ability to get you there?

Fast forward through 40 years of wandering in a desert wilderness. Joshua, after delivering specific instructions to the people and the priests, trusting God, finally leads the people across the Jordan. And the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan (Joshua 3:17). Did you get that? ON DRY GROUND!

What’s your Jordan River? And why aren’t you crossing it?

For me, it’s a job change and writing for more than just fun. You can have more than one. Yours could be retirement, going back to school, losing weight, quitting that addiction, starting a new relationship or ending an old one. Whatever it is, trust God to take you there. To the other side, into His promises. Every journey worth taking has it’s challenges, so don’t be discouraged when they show up. Don’t fear the in-between (2 Tim 1:7), it’s a where we need to pass through. In Psalm 121, the psalmist asks, “From where shall my help come?” then encourages himself with “My help comes from the Lord.” Encourage yourself. Trust God. He created everything and provided an inerrant account of it all in His Word because He knew we would need attitude adjustments from time to time.

In Deuteronomy 31:6, 8 and Joshua 1:6-9 we see where Moses counseled Joshua, then God later repeated those same words to him, be strong and courageous. Then God promised to be with Joshua wherever he went. Joshua looked to God, not at what he saw in himself, and did what he knew was possible. He crossed the Jordan River into God’s promises. He trusted God.

God has a destination for you, too. Trust Him. Cross your Jordan. You know you want to.

All biblical references are from the New American Standard Bible. Photos from Upslash.