“Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.”
Joshua 1:3
Read that again.
God did not tell Joshua, “Every place your foot touches, I might give you.”
He didn’t leave it hanging on how the giants responded…
…whether the walls cooperated,
…whether everybody supported him,
or whether he felt confident enough.
God said…
“I HAVE GIVEN IT TO YOU.”
Past tense. Already settled, already decided, and already promised.
Joshua was standing on one side of a river looking toward something Heaven had already declared belonged to Israel.
The promise was already theirs…
THEY JUST HAD TO GET TO IT.
THE PROMISE WAS GIVEN…BUT IT STILL HAD TO BE POSSESSED
God gave them the land, but they still had to cross the Jordan…
They STILL had to face the giants…
March around Jericho and fight battles in the place the soles of their feet touched the ground God had promised them.
There are some things God will GIVE you…
But you still have to GO GET THEM.
We love the word GIVEN …
But we struggle with the word GO.
We want God to drag the promise into our tent while we remain comfortably camped on the safe side of the river…
But God told Joshua…
“ARISE. GO OVER THIS JORDAN.”
In other words…
“Joshua, I have already declared the outcome. Now get up and take the next step.”
The promise was settled in Heaven…but it would be possessed one step at a time on Earth.
BUT THEN SOMETHING INTENSE HAPPENS…
Just before the battle of Jericho, Joshua encounters the Commander of the Lord’s army.
“Are You for us or for our adversaries?”
And the Commander answers…
“No.”
That answer will mess up your theology if you think God exists to endorse everything you want to do.
Joshua is essentially asking…
“Whose side are You on?”
The Commander’s response?
“Joshua, I did not come to join your side. You need to make sure you are on MINE.”
God is not our mascot, and He does not exist to bless every plan we create.
Faith is not asking God to follow us into whatever we have decided to do.
Faith is hearing His voice and following Him wherever He leads.
Joshua fell facedown and asked…
“What does my Lord say to His servant?”
Then the Commander said…
“Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.”
Joshua 5:15
WAIT A MINUTE.
In Joshua 1, God said…
“EVERY PLACE THE SOLE OF YOUR FOOT TOUCHES, I HAVE GIVEN YOU.”
But in Joshua 5, God said…
“TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF BECAUSE THE GROUND IS HOLY.”
Do you see it?
THE SAME GOD WHO SAID, “PUT YOUR FOOT ON IT” ALSO SAID, “TAKE YOUR SHOE OFF.”
Before Joshua’s feet could possess the land, his heart had to surrender to the LORD OF THE LAND.
Before he marched around Jericho, he stood barefoot in the presence of God. Worship came before marching, and consecration came before conquest.
Before Joshua stood before the walls…
HE FELL ON HIS FACE BEFORE GOD.
MOSES TOOK HIS SHOES OFF TOO
Years earlier, Moses stood before the burning bush, and God told him:
“Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”
Exodus 3:5
Moses took off his shoes before leading Israel OUT of slavery.
Joshua took off his shoes before leading Israel INTO the promise.
One stood barefoot before deliverance; the other stood barefoot before possession.
But both men had to learn the same lesson:
YOU CANNOT LEAD PEOPLE INTO WHAT GOD HAS NEXT UNTIL YOU HAVE FIRST SURRENDERED IN HIS PRESENCE.
God was not giving Joshua permission to arrogantly stomp around claiming anything he wanted.
This was not some spiritual version of “finders keepers.”
Joshua could walk with authority because he had first bowed in humility.
POSSESSION WITHOUT PRESENCE BECOMES PRESUMPTION.
MOVEMENT WITHOUT SURRENDER BECOMES AMBITION.
AUTHORITY WITHOUT HUMILITY BECOMES ARROGANCE.
The territory was not Joshua’s because Joshua was powerful.
It was his because God was FAITHFUL.
Joshua’s foot did not make the ground holy.
GOD’S PRESENCE DID.
“ALREADY YOURS” DOES NOT MEAN “EASILY YOURS”
Jericho still had walls, the land still contained giants, and there were still battles ahead.
That is why God repeatedly told Joshua:
“BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS.”
Why would Joshua need courage if the victory had already been promised?
Because something can belong to you by PROMISE and still require COURAGE to possess.
Opposition does not mean God changed His mind…
Just like difficulty does not mean the promise disappeared…
and the battles you and I face do not automatically mean we missed God!!!
Sometimes resistance is simply standing between where you are…and where God told you to go.
And you have to go through it!
The presence of giants did not cancel the promise…and the walls of Jericho did not rewrite the Word of God.
Joshua did not need the walls to agree with God.
HE NEEDED THE FAITH TO OBEY GOD…and do what He said.
FAITH HAS FEET
Faith is not sitting around talking about what God might do someday.
Faith moves. It’s Action!
It steps, crosses, and obeys.
The Jordan River did not move while Israel stood safely on the shore discussing the promise.
The priests had to put their feet into the water.
And when their feet moved…
THE WATER MOVED.
Some of us are waiting for the water to move before we take a step.
But God may be waiting for us to take a step before He moves the water.
You do not need to understand how the walls will fall, see the entire journey, or feel fearless before you move forward.
You just need enough faith to put your foot where God told you to put it.
SOME OF US NEED TO MOVE…OTHERS NEED TO KNEEL
Some people are surrendered, but they are not stepping…
They keep praying about something God has already told them to do while waiting for another sign…another feeling, another confirmation, or another perfect opportunity.
At some point, another confirmation is not faithfulness.
IT IS PROCRASTINATION WEARING CHURCH CLOTHES.
But other people are moving without surrender.
They have plans, dreams, goals, strategies, and ambition…but they have never fallen on their faces and asked…
“WHAT DOES MY LORD SAY TO HIS SERVANT?”
We need both…
…bare feet in the presence of God…
AND
…obedient feet moving toward the promise of God.
We need the humility to take off our shoes…and the courage to take the next step.
GET LOW BEFORE YOU GO FORWARD.
DREAM CITY…WE ARE NOT CAMPING BESIDE THE JORDAN
I believe there are people God has already called this church to reach…
…families He wants to restore,
…addictions He wants to break,
…prodigals He wants to bring home,
…and children who will grow up knowing the presence of Jesus.
There are neighborhoods that need hope, doors He is preparing to open, ground we have prayed over, and territory He is calling us to walk into.
We will not claim what God has not spoken, but we will not fear what He has.
We will not confuse faith with entitlement, but we will not confuse humility with hesitation either.
We are not going to remain on the safe side of the river singing songs about a land we are unwilling to enter.
If God says KNEEL, we will kneel.
If He says RISE, STEP, MOVE….we have to do what He says!
THE PROMISE IS ALREADY SETTLED.
So take off your shoes, get on your face, surrender your plans, and listen for His voice.
Then get up, take the step, cross the river, and walk into everything God has already promised.
TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES…THEN TAKE THE LAND.
PZ