when you go through deep waters
and great trouble." By J.R. Miller. Now the Jordan is at
flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who
carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's
edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing, so the people
crossed over. Joshua 3, verses 15 and 16. God does not open paths for us
in advance of our coming. He does not promise to help before
help is needed. He does not remove obstacles
out of our way before we reach them. Yet when we are on the
edge of our need, God's hand is stretched out to help us.
Many people forget this, and are forever worrying about difficulties
which they foresee in the future. They expect that God is going
to make the way plain and open before them miles and miles ahead,
whereas He has promised to do it only step by step as they
move on. There is a scripture promise
which reads, When you go through deep waters and great trouble,
I will be with you. You must get into the deep waters
before you can claim this promise. Many people dread death and lament
that they have not dying grace. Of course they will not have
dying grace when they are in good health, in the midst of
life's duties, with death far in advance. Why should they have
it then? Grace for duty is what they need
then. Live in grace now, then die in
grace when they come to die. When their feet are dipped in
the brim of Jordan, the torrent will sink away.