Crossing My Jordan!

Have you ever been in a place were you knew that one decision would change the course of your entire life? One change would redirect your entire way you viewed yourself and others. Imagine for a second that you were with Joshua before crossing the Jordon. Behind you was the Exodus from Egypt, a place of slavery and struggle. Before you was the mighty river Jordon. Knowing that by crossing this river you would be placing yourself into the fight to claim the Promise Land. It was one thing to be brought out of Egypt; but it was another thing altogether to cross over the Jordan and thus become committed, without possibility of retreat, to the struggle against the powers of Canaan. The same is our struggle when we realize that the path we are on as Christians is not taking us closer to God. I like what J. Sidlow Baxter said, “.. that intense crisis of the soul in which we are forced to the supreme choice whether here shall be an utter once-for-all abandon of ourselves to the will of God, so that henceforth God is absolutely first in the soul’s love and life, or whether we shall take what seems to be the easier way, that is, of continuing in the Christian life, but with a reservation in our love to God. It is one thing to take Christ as Saviour from the guilt of our sin. It is another thing to make Him absolute Master of our will and life.”

Our struggle is the thought of letting go and moving forward. Leaving everything and everybody behind that is hindering the progression forward. There should be no turning back. It becomes a war of will. Will we allow our flesh and unrenewed mind to hold us back from receiving the fullness of God? Are we going to accept God's will with reckless abandon or are were going to be content with the simple relationship found just at the cross of Christ (The Exodus from Egypt)? There is so much more to be obtained in the true knowledge of Christ as Lord (Canaan). The key to receiving all that God has promised, our Promise Land, is to cross the Jordan that is between the Salvation relationship and the true servant relationship of Christ.

-Tim Ratcliff