Following

 DEVOTION

JOSHUA

FOLLOWING

Josh 3:1-4

3:1 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. 2 After three days the officers went throughout the camp, 3 giving orders to the people: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 4 Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it."

NIV

We have to start with our story, for as we rise early in the morning it is not Joshua who sets out but us. We set out from our slumber each morning to walk in the light with our Lord. It is not that He left us while we were asleep, but early in the morning He is there with us. Once again, we are reminded of the three days. That phrase of three days is used fifty-four times in the scriptures and it is not by chance, but by the will of God showing beforehand what will happen. The Israelites were to follow the Ark of the Covenant, symbolizing the presence of God among the people and they were to follow it. Jesus is in us and we are in him. We are always in the presence of our Lord and He is always with us, He will never leave us nor forsake us. We have the presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us giving the truth of the word, leading us into that truth, and giving us His gifts so we can live a life that is pleasing to God. He manifests His fruit in us so we can live in the world as witnesses of the Almighty God. The Israelites were to follow the ark of the Lord as we are to follow our Lord. The difference with us is that we do not need to maintain a distance from our Lord. They needed to stay a thousand yards, three hundred feet from God, while He walks with us and talks with us along life’s way and He calls us His own. They could not go near it, but God calls us near to Him. However, the one similarity is we both need to follow. They had to follow the ark of the Lord and we need to follow the Lord himself. Of course, for them, the ark symbolized the presence of God. We have the Word of God, but that does not represent His presence, however, the Spirit does. We know God is with us, we feel His presence within us, at least we should. We sing those words, “Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to the cross where Thou hast died; Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord to Thy precious, bleeding side”. But we do not think we can be drawn any closer to the Lord as He remains in us as we remain in Him. The challenge we face is in our daily walk in the world with all its complications and troubles it throws our way. Do we get distracted enough that we forget He remains in us because it seems at times we are not remaining in Him? Yet, He breaks through those distractions and reminds us we are His own, and He walks with me and he talks with me and he tells me I am his own and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known. Where he leads we will follow.