EXPECTING A MIRACLE
Joshua 3:14-17

Introduction:     I believe in the miracle working power of God! As we surrender and submit more and more of ourselves to Christ, this miracle working power enables us to overcome the obstacles of life. “All of God’s children got problems.” Just as the children of Israel faced the obstacle of the swollen Jordan River , we face many obstacles of our own. The obstacles of life are overcome by possessing God’s promise of spiritual victory. This portion of Joshua shows us we are first to examine God’s message where we will be challenged to commit fully to God. Next we are to expect a miracle. What God did for Israel then He will do for you now!

  I.                    FACING THE PROBLEM (V.15)
The children of Israel were facing a big problem.

            A.        The Size Of It Pondered

The river was over 1 mile wide and there were 2 million people who had to cross, and yet the Lord wanted them to go over. They couldn't build a bridge; there wasn't enough time or materials. They couldn't transport everyone over in boats, there were no boats and they would have been sitting ducks for their enemies. There was only one way around their problem and that was through it! Have you ever sized up your problem and thought about how big it was? Maybe you looked at it and concluded, "There is no way around, through, over or past this problem."

            B.         The Solution For It Provided

I suppose we have all been like the 10 spies that returned from spying out the land of Canaan with Caleb and Joshua. We have sized up our problem and think that it is more than we can ever face, Num, 13:31 -33. Our problem was the same one we always have when we face a difficult situation: we forget about God! Where we see only problems, God sees only solutions. Where we look at things and say, "There's no way!" God looks at the problem and says, "Follow me, I have a plan!"

II.         FOLLOWING THE PLAN (V.15)

            A.        Takes A Step Of Faith

The plan was this, God said, "When the feet of the priests enter Jordan , I am going to part the waters and lead you through on the dry ground!" There was a catch in this plan and it was that the waters would not part until the priests who were carrying the Ark stepped into the water. In other words, it took a step of faith, whereby the people obediently followed the Lord for them to see the miracle come to pass.

            B.         Takes A Staying Of Faith

What a lesson for you and me. Too often, we want the Lord just to fix everything in our lives for us. We don't want to have to make any decisions nor do we want to have to exercise our faith in Him. We just want Him to do it and that will be the end of it. However, most of the time, God will require us to take steps of faith in order that we might see our Jordan parted. God had a plan, but for this plan to work, it required faith on the part of His people! The same is true for you and me! As long as we are trying to solve our own problems we are not walking in faith. It is when we turn loose of the reigns of the problem, step away from it and let the Lord have it that we will see it taken care of for His glory. It never is about what we can do, it is always about what the Lord is able to do, Eph. 3:20!)

III.       FOLLOW THROUGH WITH PERFORMANCE (VV.16-17)

            A.        Our Part is Obedience

When the priests stepped into that raging river, it parted and God opened a path of dry ground through the waters for His people. By the way, verse 16 says that the waters backed up to the City of Adam . This is some 20 miles north of where the children of Israel were crossing. God made them a path through the water that was more than adequate for His people to get through. It was time to go forward by faith. Wet feet lead to dry ground. When God tells us to move forward it is time to move forward.

            B.         His Part Is Omnipotence

We need to remember that faith honors God and God honors faith! When He does it, it won't just be patched up and ready to fall apart again, it will be done right and it will be done forever. Folks, I want to encourage you this morning by reminding you that this God Who did this great thing for Israel is still the same God we are serving this morning! What He did them, He can do now. He is shown to be ABLE all the way through the Bible, and He is still ABLE today!

Conclusion:       Regardless of the circumstances, He is still God and He still can! Ill. The question that plagued the Jews, (Psa 78:19) "Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?" God can! Just ask, Noah, Moses, Daniel, the 3 Hebrews, a widow down in Zarephath, the Disciples on a little ship, and Saul of Tarsus. Just look back over your own life. How many times has the Lord opened your Jordan already? He is all we need! He is still the same miracle working God that He always had been. Learn to expect miracles when you are dealing with God! When God tells us to move forward it is time to move forward. Israel did and the obstacle was removed. (Isa 43:2) "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."