Mon.’s Devo - Crossing the Jordan

Read: Joshua 3:1-4:24; Luke 14:7-35; Psalm 80:1-19; Proverbs 12; 27-28 The children of Israel came to the Jordan river on the tenth day of Nisan, the first month on the religious calendar. That would be four days before Passover which was the very day the lamb was to be set apart for sacrifice. They were crossing over from death to life and their feast would be eaten in the promised land. God exalted Joshua in the sight of his people and in the sight of their enemies in the land. He also set apart the priests to go a half a mile ahead of the people. They were to carry the Ark on their shoulders and step into the Jordan River a few steps, then stand in the water. Miles up the river, God would stop the water from flowing and it would work its way to them. By the time the people got there the usually overflowing Jordan would be dry and crossable. The priests would then walk into the middle of the riverbed and stop. The people would walk past them to the other side. When they all got to the other side, Joshua had the 12 men he had chosen (one from each tribe) to go back to the middle of the riverbed and choose a stone to represent their tribe. They were to carry it back to the people and set them in a pile as a memorial of what God did for them by stopping the flow of the Jordan and letting them cross. They set up another pile of twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan where the priests had stood. When the priests came out of the water it immediately started flowing again. Joshua reminded them that this was the same thing he had done at the Red Sea forty years earlier. He did this so that all the nations of the earth might know that God’s hand was powerful and that they should fear him. In Luke, Jesus was still at the dinner party of the Pharisee when he noticed many of the people trying to get the best seats. Jesus told them not to try to get the best seat because if someone more distinguished than them arrived, the host might ask them to give your seat to him. Then they would end up in a seat in the back. Instead, he told them to sit in the back and let the host promote you. Jesus told the host that the next time he had a dinner party he should not ask his rich friends who could invite him back, but to invite the poor and needy who would never be able to repay him. Then God would reward him. One of the men sitting with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!” Jesus then told them a parable about God and his banquet. God prepared his banquet and sent out many invitations. He got excuses in return so he sent him messengers back out to invite the poor, crippled, blind and lame. When he still had room for more, he sent his messengers to the country land and behind the hedges to urge anyone they could find to come. He filled the room. God then said that not one of the first invitees would even get a small taste of his banquet. Jesus then turn to the crowd and told them that if they wanted to be his disciple, they must die to everything in this life and carry their own cross and follow him. First they must fully count the cost and be prepared to lose it all. This was the complete opposite of what the religious leaders taught. They taught that if God approved of you then you would be rewarded with riches here on earth. To prove that they were God’s best, they made sure they had money even if it meant stealing from the people. They were all about appearances but their hearts were wicked and selfish. Lord, thank you for your mighty hand that is powerful against your enemies. May you arise in our midst and defeat our enemies. May we count the cost of following you and receive your invitation with joy.