Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Crossing Over With God
Joshua 3:1-17
 Vs. 5 Then Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”
 In Joshua 3:1-17, it is seen that the people of Israel were at yet another crossroad in their journey to the Promised Land. Joshua led the Israelites and instructed them to, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you”. With the Ark of God leading the Israelites, they marched as God instructed not knowing what lied ahead. 
 Their journey came to a halt as they saw the path they had to cross was drowned with flood waters. At that time the Israelites had to depend on God which meant letting go of the doubts and fears drowning their minds. Despite all the miracles they had witnessed, fear still managed to creep its way into the hearts of the people. As soon as the Ark of the Lord reached the waters, a way was made for the people of Israel to cross over.

In the same way with God in our lives, a way will be revealed. He has invited us to walk with Him through the sacrifice of His Son. In this day and age when evil is at every corner and future is not in our hands, in order to cross over in our walk, we must put our faith in the Lord just as Joshua and the Israelites once did. 
 As our Mar Thoma history shows us, our forefathers in our church showed great trust and faith in God despite the many obstacles in their way.  As children of God we are also called to trust and obey even when we do not know what the future holds in our life’s journey. 
God encouraged Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses”. 
 In the famous story of “Footprints’, the troubled man doubted if God was really with him during the hard times and he questioned the Lord.  The Lord replied by saying "My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."
 Let us remember these words today and trust that the Lord is always carrying us through our troubles, sorrows, and fears.  Let us consecrate ourselves spiritually, trusting in the Lord with the utmost faith so that we may cross over with the Lord in the 21st first century.
 PRAYER
Heavenly Father, Thank You for inviting us to cross over with you through the sacrifice of Your Son. Strengthen our hearts so that we may let go of our fears and doubts. And help us to have faith and trust in You, so that we may cross over the hardships in our lives. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Jane George Christos MTC, Philadelphia
Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church

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