The Jordan River Rules
The same God who led you out will lead you on.
by ROBERT J. MORGAN
THE PROBLEMS OF LIFE drive us to the promises of God, don’t they? Years ago I faced a terrible worry, and the Lord gave me the story of the Israelites passing through the Red Sea. Moses said, “‘Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation that he will accomplish for you today … . The Lord will fight for you’” (Ex. 14:13-14).
I was mesmerized by this chapter, and out of it came a little book called The Red Sea Rules.
As my wife, Katrina, grew debilitated by multiple sclerosis, I stepped away from my life’s work of pastoring to care for her, which was a difficult joy. Then she went to heaven, and I faced a new stage of life — a post-pastorate widower without the church I’d known for decades.
I turned to the book of Joshua, which begins: “‘Moses my servant is dead. Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites. … I will not leave you or abandon you. Be strong and courageous … . God is with you wherever you go’” (Josh. 1:2,5-6,9). As I kept reading through the book of Joshua, I saw how the Lord parted the waters again for Israel. This time it was the raging Jordan at flood stage. Those who had been children at the Exodus recalled the former miracle, which God, in effect, duplicated.
The Lord wants us to press onward! We can’t bypass grief, and we shouldn’t deny the hardship of change. But God leads us in stages, and we must believe every new stage is better in many ways than the previous ones and every stage in the past has prepared us for the new one we’re entering. (See Num. 33:1-2.) This isn’t just about retirement or widowhood. Think of graduations, weddings, relocations, job opportunities, empty nesting — all the transitions of life.
From my study of Joshua 1–6, I developed 10 principles, which I put into a small book called The Jordan River Rules. They’ve given me a new perspective on pressing into the future.
- Realize God Means for You to Move Forward (Josh. 1:1-2). Moses wasn’t returning, and the Israelites couldn’t tarry in the wilderness. They needed to rouse themselves to go forward. Paul said in Philippians 3:13-14: “One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” Don’t get stuck in life. Our times are in God’s hands, and He moves us onward at the speed of providence.
- Say No to Discouragement, Yes to Strength (Josh. 1:3-9). The opening words of Joshua are God’s personal message to him, perhaps the best motivational talk in the history of leadership. “‘Do not be afraid or discouraged,’” the Lord said (v. 9). No passage in Scripture permits us to be discouraged. The Lord discourages discouragement. By faith, we’re to cast off discouragement.
- Step Up to the Moment (Josh. 1:10-18). The people responded to Joshua’s challenge, saying, “‘Everything you have commanded us we will do, and everywhere you send us we will go’” (v. 16). The Hebrew name “Joshua” is “Yeshua,” which in English is “Jesus.” We can take that verse personally and say: “Jesus, everything You have commanded me I will do, and everywhere You send me I will go.”
- Find Someone to Help Along the Way (Josh. 2). The second chapter of Joshua concerns the two spies who swam the river to scout out Jericho. They helped Rahab, and she helped them. This unlikely alliance resulted in — can you believe it? — the family tree of Christ. (See Matt. 1:5.) You never know what will happen when you help someone else.
- Expect God to Guide You Where You’ve Never Been Before (Josh. 3:1-4). The people were commanded, “‘When you see the ark of the covenant … , you are to break camp and follow it. … Don’t go near it, so that you can see the way to go, for you haven’t traveled this way before”’ (vv. 3-4). The Lord knows the way, and He goes before us. The next stage in life isn’t uncharted to Him. Don’t fear the future; trust the Father.
- Prepare Today for Tomorrow’s Wonders (Josh. 3:5). This is one of the Bible’s greatest verses on the subject of rededication: “‘Consecrate yourselves, because the Lord will do wonders among you tomorrow.’” Do you believe that? It’s true, and you can experience it. God has blessings for you tomorrow. Prepare for them.
- Trust God to Turn Problems into Pathways (Josh. 3:15-17). Now we come to the dramatic story of the parting of the river Jordan. The Lord Himself makes a way for us.
- Build a Monument (Josh. 4). The writer of Joshua devotes only a paragraph to the parted waters, but he devotes an entire chapter to building a monument to remind future generations of the event. God wants us to leave behind a testimony, a record of His faithfulness to us.
- You’re Not in Charge, But Remember Who Is (Josh. 5:13–6:5). On the Jordan’s west bank, Joshua faced the city of Jericho. But the “commander of the Lord’s army” appeared, and we’re reminded that God’s children are never truly in charge (Josh 5:14). The Captain of our salvation is right beside us, and He knows how to deal with roadblocks.
- Encircle Obstacles With Faith and Shout the Victory (Josh. 6). The Lord’s plan was unusual, requiring simple faith in Him. He told the Israelites to march around the city, and in seven days its walls would collapse. We face hindrances before us, but when we surround them with prayer, praise, patience, and the power of God, we’ll soon shout the victory.
These principles have helped me move onward. Why not change how you think of change? For God’s children, the way is always forward, the route is always guided, the Lord is always near us, and the future is always bright. Don’t just sit there! Cross the Jordan and claim the next stage of life — whatever it is — for Christ.
Pastor ROBERT MORGAN teaches the Bible through a weekly podcast, books, video and social media resources, and speaking engagements. He and his late wife, Katrina, have three daughters and 16 grandchildren. Visit him at robertjmorgan.com.
The article is uplifting. I am using the main points of The Jordan River Rules in our lesson on Ecclesiastes this week. We need some uplifting points to go along with the lesson of viewing this life from above the sun. There are people who truly feel they have no purpose in life especially after some of life’s transitional times from graduation to weddings to relocations to job opportunities to parenting to empty nest to retirement to widowhood. The Jordan River Rules gives us all practical advice to having a meaningful life, not one of futility. If we want purpose and meaning in our life we must trust Jesus, follow Jesus, and serve Jesus.