Joshua 4:15-19: a reflection

15The LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, 16“Command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, that they come up out of the Jordan.” 17Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come up out of the Jordan!” 18When the priests who bore the ark of the LORD’s covenant had come up out of the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet had been lifted up to the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks, as before. 19The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, on the east border of Jericho.

As Israel crosses the Jordan into the promised land, the priests bearing the ark stand in the middle of the riverbed until all the people have passed over on dry ground; only when they come up out of the Jordan do the waters return. When the priests who bore the ark had come up out of the middle of the Jordan, the account says, the waters returned to their place. The priests held their position, bearing the ark, until every last person had safely crossed; God held back the waters until all were through, and brought the whole people safely into the land. God did not bring only some across; he brought them all the way through, every one, safely into the land. God brought the whole people all the way through to the other side. God held back the waters until all had safely crossed. God brought them fully through, not partway. He brought the whole people safely into the land.

Notice how God brought the people all the way through. The waters were held back, the priests stood firm with the ark in the middle of the river, and the people crossed; and God did not let the waters return until every last one had come up safely on the other side. God did not bring them halfway and abandon them in the riverbed; he brought the whole people all the way through, safely into the land he had promised. This reflects something we can trust about God: that he brings his people all the way through, that he does not begin a deliverance and leave it half done. When God begins to bring us through, he sees it to completion; he does not abandon us partway. The God who parted the Jordan held back the waters until all were safely across. We can trust that God will bring us all the way through what he has begun, not leave us stranded partway. God finishes what he begins; he brings his people all the way through. God does not abandon a deliverance half done. Trust God to bring you all the way through, not partway.

That is worth resting in, for God brings his people all the way through, not partway, as he held back the Jordan until every last one had crossed safely into the land. We can fear that God will begin to bring us through some hard passage but leave us stranded partway, that his help will run out before we reach the other side; but God held back the waters of the Jordan until the whole people had crossed, bringing them all the way through. God does not abandon a deliverance half done. When you are in the middle of a hard crossing, trust that God will bring you all the way through, as he brought Israel fully into the land. Rest in the truth that God brings his people all the way through, not partway, as the waters of the Jordan were held back and the priests bearing the ark stood firm in the middle of the riverbed until every last one of the people had come up safely on the other side, and only then did the waters return; for God does not begin a deliverance and leave it half done, abandoning us stranded partway, but sees his people all the way through what he has begun, as he brought the whole of Israel safely into the promised land, so that when we are in the middle of a hard crossing we can trust him to bring us all the way through to the other side rather than leaving us stranded, since the God who begins to bring us through finishes what he begins.

Lord, as Israel crosses the Jordan into the promised land, the priests bearing the ark stand in the middle of the riverbed until all the people have passed over on dry ground; only when they come up out of the Jordan do the waters return. When the priests who bore the ark had come up out of the middle of the Jordan, the account says, the waters returned to their place. The priests held their position, bearing the ark, until every last person had safely crossed; you held back the waters until all were through, and brought the whole people safely into the land. You did not bring only some across; you brought them all the way through, every one, safely into the land. Show me how you brought the people all the way through. The waters were held back, the priests stood firm with the ark in the middle of the river, and the people crossed; and you did not let the waters return until every last one had come up safely on the other side. You did not bring them halfway and abandon them in the riverbed; you brought the whole people all the way through. This reflects something I can trust about you: that you bring your people all the way through, that you do not begin a deliverance and leave it half done. When you begin to bring me through, you see it to completion; you do not abandon me partway. Let me rest in that, for you bring your people all the way through, not partway. I can fear that you will begin to bring me through some hard passage but leave me stranded partway, that your help will run out before I reach the other side; but you held back the waters of the Jordan until the whole people had crossed. When I am in the middle of a hard crossing, help me trust that you will bring me all the way through, Lord, as you brought Israel fully into the land, since you who begin to bring me through finish what you begin.