Trusting the path God Clears for you: Joshua chapter 3

Reflecting on the gentle wisdom imparted by my beloved grandparents, I realized the power of following directions with faith and patience. Just as they tackled the daunting task of assembling furniture with teamwork and trust, we too can navigate the paths cleared by God. This episode of Jessi Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart offers heartfelt stories intertwined with the timeless teachings of Joshua 3. As we journey alongside the Israelites crossing the Jordan River, we explore how trust in divine guidance can illuminate our life’s path, no matter how fragmented the pieces might seem.

Join me on this uplifting exploration of faith, inspired by the resolute spirit of Joshua and the loving example of my grandparents. Their story of collaboration mirrors the biblical narrative of following God’s instructions amidst uncertainty. With thoughtful reflections from Exodus 16, Deuteronomy 10, and Isaiah 30:21, this episode invites you to embrace the power of scripture in transforming life's challenges into opportunities for growth and strength. Allow these stories to encourage and remind you of the unwavering presence and love that guides us all toward the promises laid out for us.

Key passages:
Joshua 3

Exodus 16

Duetronomy 10

Isaiah 30:21

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hello, hello. You are listening to the Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast, episode 39. This week's devotional is titled Trusting the Path God Clears for you Joshua, chapter 3. Let's go Hi. I'm Jesse Morgan. I used to just share home decor and renovation tips on social media, but now I'm sharing something even closer to my heart my journey and love for Jesus Christ, my Savior. Welcome to the Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Hawk Podcast.

Speaker 1: 0:28

This is a weekly devotional. I started back in May 2024, but the inspiration for it came much earlier. It was rooted in a faith journey that began when my daughter was born, four months early in 2023. Through that challenging time, god worked in ways that truly amazed me. On this podcast, I share personal stories of faith, woven together with scripture to show just how incredible God's word can be in our everyday lives. My hope is that through these stories, you'll be encouraged, uplifted and reminded of God's love and presence, no matter what you're going through. So I invite you to spend less than 15 minutes with me each week as we reflect on these devotionals together. Let's all pray within Trusting the path God clears for you Joshua, chapter 3, key passages Joshua 3, exodus 16, deuteronomy 10, and Isaiah 30, 21. Welcome back, hello everyone. I hope you're doing really well this week.

Speaker 1: 1:29

Today, I'm excited to dive into Joshua 3, which is honestly one of the most significant passages in biblical history. It's the story of the Israelites crossing the famous Jordan River as they begin their quest entering the promised land. We've been focusing on being bold and leading like Joshua, sharing testimonies and believing like Rahab, but now we get to go to Joshua 3, which has honestly been a highlight for me. What does this chapter mean for me and what could it mean for you? I can't wait to share my thoughts and I pray that it blesses you the way it has blessed me.

Speaker 1: 2:11

But before we dive in, I want to share a quick story about my amazing grandparents. So, as many of you know, I lost my grandmother in late December of 2024. And now every memory of her feels like a precious gift, you know, and I cherish those memories, and anytime I get with my grandfather, who's still with us, I cherish even you know, cherish it even more so my grandparents. For those that don't know, we're such a perfect couple and a perfect match. My grandfather could build or fix anything. I mean he can fix a dog house. He can create a batting cage, you name it. He's still a jack of all trades. My grandmother, on the other hand, was creative and smart. She was an avid reader, a talented writer and could sew anything you can imagine Together. It just worked.

Speaker 1: 3:08

So one day, when I was moving into my apartment during my junior year at the University of Alabama, when I was in college, my mom bought me this most amazing, beautiful bedroom set. It was all black, super sleek, and it came with a bed frame, two side tables and a vanity with a mirror. But the catch? But what about? But the catch was it came in a million pieces. I wasn't about to try putting that together myself. I don't have the patience. Naturally, we called my grandfather. He came up and, you know, took a whole week to be there, and my grandmother did too. At first he was a bit stumped by all the pieces and all the parts. Then my grandmother came in, sat down in a chair and started reading the directions to him step by step. At first I thought why don't we just follow the pictures, you know? But my grandmother insisted directions are there for a reason. So they followed them exactly and after a few hours the set was perfectly put together and super sturdy. When they finished, my grandmother kissed my grandfather on the cheek and said you're welcome. And he laughed, blushed and said okay, woman. And they walked out of the room hand in hand. Finally I had a clear path to my room, all those boxes and pieces were gone and it finally felt like a home in my new apartment.

Speaker 1: 4:35

So let's transition this to Joshua 3. Directions, instructions Some people find them confusing. Instructions Some people find them confusing, Others find them comforting. But either way, they are there for a reason. God gives us directions, instructions too, not to confuse us but to guide us. He wants us to succeed and he wants us to understand that obeying him will always lead us to the path he has destined for us, right or wrong, right. So how does this tie into Joshua 3 with my grandparents and what does my bed set have to do with the Lord? I promise it will connect. Big lesson for me too.

Speaker 1: 5:18

So the first thing I want to do, before we dive into the crossing of the Jordan and Joshua, chapter 3, we need to understand the Ark of the Covenant. Here's a quick overview. So in Exodus 25, 10 through 22, it tells us that the arc's dimensions are 2.5 cubits long, 1.5 cubits wide and 1.5 cubits high. You can take that and you should be able to Google and find out like in length and width and everything. But it had a gold lid called the mercy set and two cherubims facing each other which are like spiritual beings mentioned within the Bible. They were facing each other.

Speaker 1: 6:01

The Ark was a visible sign of God's presence, allowing Moses and then later Joshua, to consult with the Lord. It contained three items. Usually the Ark of Covenant contained three items and one was the stone tablets. Ten Commandments, which you can look in Deuteronomy 10, 1-5. A jar of manna, which you can find in Exodus 16, 33-34. It symbolizes God's provision while they were in the wilderness. And Aaron's rod, which you can look up in Numbers 17-10, which is a sign of God's chosen leadership, can look up in Numbers 17.10, which is a sign of God's chosen leadership.

Speaker 1: 6:42

The ark was carried only by the Levites tribe, specifically the descendants of Aaron. Look that up in Deuteronomy 10.8. They used poles to carry it on their shoulders and never touching it directly. That was God's instructions. So now let's focus on Joshua 3.

Speaker 1: 6:58

Here's what happens crossing the Jordan River, which is the big thing within this chapter. Joshua tells the people to prepare to cross the Jordan, the Levite priests carrying it. You are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before Now. Then, in Joshua 3.6, joshua instructs the priests and he says take up the Ark of the Covenant and pass on ahead of the people. And then, finally, in Joshua 3.8, the priests are told flooding, yet the waters were completely cut off when they stepped in that river. The Israelites crossed on dry ground while the priests stood in the middle holding the ark. So what does this mean for us? Think about the faith it took for the priests, joshua and the Israelites to follow those directions. They didn't know exactly what was going to happen next. They simply followed God's instructions or directions and walked the clear path he provided. Just like my grandparents followed the step-by-step directions to build my bed set, the Israelites followed God's direction step-by-step to cross the Jordan River. Imagine if they had tried to figure it out on their own, how much harder it would have been or would have even happened right.

Speaker 1: 8:42

Why do we make life harder for ourselves by cutting corners or trying to handle things on our own? God has already cleared the muddy waters and challenges for us through Jesus Christ. So God's presence at our level, like think about that, here's the beautiful part of that. At our level. Like, think about that, here's the beautiful part of that. God, in his sovereignty, made himself visible to the Israelites through the ark. He came down to their level, guiding them through treacherous waters into battles they couldn't have handled alone. They didn't have the experience to handle alone. So today, god is with us spiritually, through the holy spirit. The same god who parted the jordan river is, guy, is ready to guide you through the obstacles in your life. And don't miss this. The jordan river is the same river where jesus was later baptized.

Speaker 1: 9:34

God's directions and paths always have meaning, even when we don't fully understand them. We can trust that he is working for our good. So remember this. Isaiah 30, 21 reminds us whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying this is the way. Walk in it.

Speaker 1: 9:59

My friends, god has a clear path for your life. He has cleared out all the muddy water. He has cleared out all the mud, all the obstacles in that river of yours, to give you the path that he wants and chose for you. Are you ready to follow his instructions? Are you ready to follow his directions and what he's asking of you? Think about that. Let's pray. Lord, thank you for the clear paths you create for us, even when the way seems uncertain. Help us to trust your directions and carry you in our hearts as we walk the path you've laid out for us. Thank you for parting the waters and making a way through. Jesus Christ, father, we love you and we praise you. We thank you so much for everything you've done for us.

Speaker 1: 10:50

I pray for everybody listening to this podcast that they're inspired, that they're comforted, whatever they're going through. Lord, I just pray that something in this session, you know, blessed them or just really worked their spirit. Lord, we love you and we praise you in Jesus' name, amen. Thank you so much for listening today. I hope this blessed you as much as it's blessed me. See you next time, and we'll be entering Joshua 4 and the Jericho walls. Stay tuned. Well, that wraps up this week's episode. I hope these devotions help you draw closer to God each day. If this episode encouraged you, please share it with someone who might need the same message, and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a weekly episode. For more information or to reach out, check the show notes or visit jessimorganhomecom or find me on Instagram at jessimorganlife. Remember God's timing is always perfect. Keep trusting him Until next time. This is Jessi Morgan praying off.

Speaker 1: 11:51

I just wanted to like touch base really quick again on this chapter, I think with Joshua, chapter three. It just it spoke to me so much about crossing the Jordan, how God just cleared a path, how Israel just believed and just stepped foot on that dry ground and just walked across that river into land and situations. They had no idea how it was going to turn out. All they knew is, if they follow God's plan and direction, that they will be blessed and they'll be able to take the promised land. And it was just interesting being able to think about the story of my grandparents and I mean how my entire front of my door of my apartment was filled with boxes of that bed set and I was like, oh, I just can't. And you know, my grandfather came and my grandmother sat down and they went through the directions. I just it really touched me and I was happy that I was able to.

Speaker 1: 12:52

God bless me with that story to remember, to bring here and I just want to like encourage you guys to any lesson or anything you read in the Bible.

Speaker 1: 13:02

Sit back and reflect on personal stories of yours and how they can connect to that and what you can learn from it. At the time, my grandparents putting the bed together meant nothing to me, but now, sitting back and I'm in my late 30s and reflecting on that, it just made it more personal for me and making me realize that the Bible was written for me, it was written for us, it was. It was written to inspire us to learn from it and take our experiences that we have now and to apply those experiences based on the lessons learned in the Bible. And I just encourage you to you know, on the lessons learned in the Bible, and I just encourage you to you know, spend time with the Lord and see how your everyday life is part of God's plan. So I just, you know, wanted to share that and thank you again for all the support with this podcast. It's just been truly a blessing. So, love you all. Next till next week.