SPRING FORTH NOW

Joshua was up early and on his way from Shittim with all the People of Israel with him. He arrived at the Jordan and camped before crossing over. After three days, leaders went through the camp and gave out orders to the people: “When you see the Covenant-Chest of God, your God, carried by the Levitical priests, start moving. Follow it. Make sure you keep a proper distance between you and it, about half a mile—be sure now to keep your distance!—and you’ll see clearly the route to take. You’ve never been on this road before.” Then Joshua addressed the people: “Sanctify yourselves. Tomorrow God will work miracle-wonders among you.” Joshua instructed the priests, “Take up the Chest of the Covenant and step out before the people.” So they took it up and processed before the people. God said to Joshua, “This very day I will begin to make you great in the eyes of all Israel. They’ll see for themselves that I’m with you in the same way that I was with Moses. You will command the priests who are carrying the Chest of the Covenant: ‘When you come to the edge of the Jordan’s waters, stand there on the river bank.’” Then Joshua addressed the People of Israel: “Attention! Listen to what God, your God, has to say. This is how you’ll know that God is alive among you—he will completely dispossess before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. Look at what’s before you: the Chest of the Covenant. Think of it—the Master of the entire earth is crossing the Jordan as you watch. Now take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from each tribe. When the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the Chest of God, Master of all the earth, touch the Jordan’s water, the flow of water will be stopped—the water coming from upstream will pile up in a heap.”

Joshua 3:1-13 (MSG)

As we reflect in the aftermath of the second impeachment trial, we are reminded that for some people alternative motives and agendas far outweigh morality and truth; foundational principles for living together in community. Morality and truth is the necessary currency, common shared principals, for operating in community and is not the by-product of community but instead the foundational springs in which community flows. Out of your belly shall flow rivers of water, life; the springing forth from the inside of that which God blew into us causing us to be alive, His Spirit which unites us with the “Let us make . . . .” The Spirit within us, the foundational springs, defines our morality and truth that constitutes the “we” and not the circumstances or situations promoting the “I,” i.e., the quest for power. Thus, our narrative, our power is derived from within instead of from without, a morality and truth of what we believe should be pressing “us” forward, fueling the revelation and realization of God’s Word, promises for our lives, to become flesh, real. Be not deceived by charlatans who seek to deceive you with false morality and truth that only serves their motives, agendas. Make sure you maintain control of your narrative, driving it from your power within, true to your authenticity and core values, Mobilizing Your Forces, within and without, to respond by reacting favorably toward your higher calling. Choose to Soar in that which should be for the thriving of your community, which in turn sustains and increases you rapidly in the fulfillment of God’s promises for your life. Joshua found it necessary to give detail direction, define roles and responsibilities, and to disengage from the past and embrace the possessing of the land as God had promised, independent of the impossibilities by acting specifically, listening to God’s Spirit, and remain focused on what is before them. Mobilize Your Forces to operate as one, as a community in which authenticity and core values spring forth, providing detail directions toward expectations, forces operating in there lanes as well as understand there responsibility, and disengage from what was to focus and embrace what shall be. You have the advantage of the Creator God’s nature, His Spirit, dwelling inside of you, activate and flow, letting the Spirit, God’s nature, your core values be released, driving you from what is and was to what shall be, to Soar in the fulfillment of God’s promises for your life.