“You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan’….When the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord of all the earth shall rest in the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan coming down from above shall be cut off and they shall stand in one heap.” – Joshua 3:8, 13 (AMP)

Dear Leader . . . Your ability to stand still and stand firm can play a role in someone’s deliverance. Your ability to carry the Presence of God while doing so can make that deliverance supernatural.

When God commanded the Israelites to cross the Jordan River and finally take the Promised Land, He told Joshua to command the priests who were carrying the ark of the Presence of the Lord to stand at the brink of the river while the others walked across on dry land. When the priests’ feet hit the river, the waters of the river began to “stand up” and a way was made for the people to get across.  As a leader, your ability to walk into the midst of a challenge ahead of others and resist fear is paramount. Sure, these priests had heard about the parting of the Red Sea some forty years earlier, but they needed faith that the waters standing up in front of them today would stay standing while they stood in the gap. Our ability to resist doubt and stand still in faith in the midst of people’s chaotic and daunting circumstances creates a way for them to get through. Our stability and strength in the face of their adversity gives others an opportunity of easier passage into their deliverance.

These priests held the ark of the covenant – the Presence of God – while they stood in the midst of the Jordan River. It can be extremely difficult at times to maintain the Presence of God in our lives as we make a way for others into their Promised Land. People are slower than we would like. People step on our toes along the way. People complain. Leaders are constantly tempted in a situation such as this to walk away, respond in anger or out of hurt, or simply grow tired of carrying God’s heart for the people he has called them to assist in delivering. But we’ve got to stand still and firmly, holding on to God and his magnificent Presence. If we do this, we can be sure that the people we are leading will experience a supernatural move of God. They will see miracles and they will have a testimony to tell others on the other side of the river.