So
much in life involves timing. Athletes know this all too well. The difference
between a field goal point and a missed opportunity is timing. A split second
one way or the other means a miss. Horse racing is often decided by a fraction
of a second. Swimmers touch the wall to signal their completion of the race. If
they fully extend at just the right time they can be the winner.
Pregnancy
happens based on timing. Even when we are not aware of it, the timing of the
preliminary events make pregnancy possible. And everything must be just right. If
the timing is wrong the minus sign appears.
The
international space station’s orbit and the launching of satellites is all
about timing. If the launch is off by just a few seconds, or the burner is cut
short, the mission in a failure. The satellite doesn’t achieve proper orbit and
is just an expensive piece of space jewelry.
So
why would the LORD pick that time to cross the Jordan River? Joshua couldn’t
have picked a worse time to cross. It was at flood stage. He would have known
this. I know if I had been in his shoes I would have questioned the LORD’s
instructions. There would have been all sorts of things running around in my
mind. The roaring flood waters presented an extra challenge to their crossing.
But
the bad timing made their crossing a true sign of the LORD’s presence with
them. If they crossed during the dry season, not such a big deal. They could have
walked with their shoes and socks off and pants rolled up. No miracle was
needed. So why didn’t the LORD just wait? Why did He pick the most difficult
time to cross?
Have
you ever noticed that the LORD allows the most difficult times in our lives to
be the times of greatest growth potential? He allows life’s circumstances to
use up our resources in order to get us to a place where we will depend fully
on Him. All our possible solutions are doomed to fail. Then the LORD gives us
the solution, an impossibly difficult obstacle. There is no way we could do it
ourselves. We know that! But the LORD calls us to do it anyway.
And
if the LORD is in the timing, we will succeed! Even when all looks against us,
we will come out on top because the LORD will place us there. And in the end,
He will get the credit. This will happen because everyone will be able to clearly
see that it was an impossible task. No one will be able to come up with a plausible
explanation of how it happened apart from the intervention of the LORD.
And
when that happens, the LORD will get the credit. Praise and honor will be freely
given to Him, the One who did the impossible. And anyone else who tries to take
credit will look like a fool.