There are times God clears the path before you and invites you to take a step, and there are other times when your step of faith must precede the clearing. Joshua found himself in one of those instances. In Joshua 3, he finds himself at the banks of the Jordan River. Perhaps it seemed to him a “deja-vu” moment – a large body of water standing in the way of his destiny. When this happened before, Moses was at the leadership helm and he simply raised his staff and the waters would part. This time, God will instruct Joshua to have the priests step INTO the water first, before the waters would part and the people can cross on dry ground.
What’s been messing with me is this visual of the priests leading with muddy feet. You see, the people walked on dry ground, but as they kicked up the dirt, you can almost imagine the feet of the priest, once wet – now caked in mud. As priests and leaders unto our king, there are times we too must lead with muddy feet. We know we must step out in faith so others can find their destiny. It’s messy, it’s uncomfortable, it’s muddy – but it’s also the greatest place to be.
In your eyes your steps caked in mud may seem heavy or burdensome, perhaps not as clean and as swift as you would prefer them to be; but take a step anyway and keep your trust in God. If you find yourself here today, embrace your muddy feet – these are the feet that reflect the beauty of an obedient servant taking a step of faith.
