Intentional FaithStanding at the River’s Edge
On Second Thought
There are moments in life when decisions arrive without apology. They do not wait for perfect clarity or emotional readiness. A job offer demands an answer by Friday. A ministry opportunity presses for commitment before the week is out. A relationship reaches a point where delay itself becomes a decision. These moments carry weight because they often feel singular—doors that will not remain open indefinitely. Scripture does not dismiss the anxiety such moments provoke. Instead, it places them within a larger framework of trust, obedience, and God’s abiding presence.
Joshua 1 opens at precisely such a moment. Moses is dead, the great leader who carried Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness. The people stand on the edge of the Jordan River, swollen and dangerous, with enemies entrenched on the far side. God’s command is direct and time-bound: prepare yourselves, for in three days you will cross. There is no extended debate, no contingency planning spelled out in advance. What God provides instead is assurance—“As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5). The decision to move forward is anchored not in Israel’s readiness but in God’s faithfulness.
What stands out in Joshua’s commissioning is that God does not first describe the logistics of crossing the river. He addresses Joshua’s inner life. The command to meditate on the Law day and night is not a spiritual aside; it is central to decision-making. God’s Word becomes the lens through which uncertainty is clarified. When Scripture says the Word “rolls back the darkness and doubt,” it is not suggesting that ambiguity instantly disappears. Rather, it means that fear no longer governs the choice. The Hebrew idea behind meditation, hagah, implies a steady, murmuring attentiveness—a continual returning to God’s truth until it shapes perception itself.
Isaiah 58:11 deepens this image by promising guidance not just at the moment of decision, but continually. “The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought.” This is not guidance reserved for the confident or the flawless. It is guidance offered in drought—when clarity feels scarce and strength feels thin. The promise is not that the path will always be obvious, but that the soul will be sustained along the way. God’s guidance is less like a spotlight revealing every step ahead and more like a spring that does not fail, nourishing endurance over time.
One of the most liberating truths embedded in this study is the reminder that obedience does not require infallibility. Many believers hesitate at decision points because they fear getting it wrong and somehow forfeiting God’s will permanently. Scripture offers no support for that fear. Joshua himself will make missteps later in his leadership. Israel will face consequences for poor discernment. And yet, God remains present. He instructs, corrects, restores, and continues His work. Romans 8:28 assures us that God works in all things—not just correct choices, but flawed ones as well—for the good of those who love Him.
This reframes how we approach opportunity. God’s will is not a tightrope where one misstep sends us plummeting into spiritual ruin. It is a path walked with God, where obedience matters more than precision and trust matters more than certainty. The call, then, is to obey what we genuinely believe God has shown us, informed by Scripture, prayer, and wise counsel. Even when the outcome surprises us, God’s presence does not recede.
The Israelites crossed the Jordan not because the river receded on its own, but because God acted when they stepped forward. The water did not part while they stood still debating the risks. Movement followed trust. In much the same way, many opportunities in our lives require faithful action before full understanding. The promise of Isaiah 58 is not that drought will never come, but that drought will not have the final word. God strengthens bones worn thin by decision fatigue and makes lives fruitful even in uncertain terrain.
This truth invites a daily posture rather than a single heroic leap. Each day presents smaller crossings—conversations avoided or pursued, responsibilities accepted or declined, obedience delayed or embraced. Over time, these daily decisions shape the soul into either a stagnant pool or a flowing spring. God’s desire is not simply that we make the “right” choice, but that we become the kind of people who trust Him enough to move forward when He speaks.
On Second Thought
On second thought, the real paradox of divine opportunity is that God often cares less about the specific outcome than we do. We tend to fixate on whether a choice will succeed, satisfy, or secure our future. God, by contrast, seems more invested in what the choice forms within us. Joshua’s crossing of the Jordan was not merely about entering land; it was about entering trust. The land could have been reached by another route, but obedience could not have been cultivated any other way.
This reframes anxiety around decision-making in a surprising way. If God’s primary concern is formation rather than flawless execution, then hesitation rooted in fear loses its authority. We begin to see that God can redeem even our wrong turns without endorsing them. He teaches through correction without withdrawing presence. He shapes wisdom through experience, not just instruction. In this sense, opportunity is not a test we pass or fail, but a classroom where trust is practiced.
There is also a quiet comfort in knowing that God’s guidance is described as continual. It does not expire once a decision is made. Many believers live as though God speaks once and then watches silently as they cope with the consequences. Isaiah’s promise contradicts that notion. God guides, satisfies, strengthens, and sustains—before, during, and after the choice. Even when we look back and wish we had chosen differently, God is already at work redeeming what we would label a mistake.
On second thought, perhaps the greater danger is not choosing wrongly, but refusing to choose at all. Delay can masquerade as prudence while quietly eroding faith. Standing perpetually on the river’s edge may feel safer than stepping into uncertain water, but it prevents us from discovering the faithfulness of the God who parts rivers. Obedience, even imperfect obedience, opens space for God to act. And when He does, the soul becomes like a watered garden—not because every choice was perfect, but because trust was practiced along the way.
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WIST Quotations
Praise the Lord
Bryan King
