Don't Run Ahead

In Joshua 3:4 the people of Israel are preparing to go over the Jordan River. The command of the officers to the people was to set out and follow the ark of the covenant when they saw the priests carrying it. They were instructed to keep a space between them and the ark. My first thought was that the reason for this was because the ark is holy.

We all remember the story about Uzzah in 2 Samuel 6. He had reached his hand out to steady the ark and God killed him because of his disobedience in touching the ark. So I assume a similar condition is present here. “Stay back from the ark. It’s holy!”

Upon more careful reading though I noticed in verse 4 that the reason that they were not to come near is “that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.”

Now the truth is, I don’t know what this means. Perhaps if they were all too close and huddled around, the ark might get lost in the shuffle and some people might lose track of it and head off in the wrong direction. I’m not sure if that is the intention here, but that’s the lesson I’m taking from this situation.

So many times we want to run ahead of God. We prepare all of our plans and run full steam ahead without waiting to see which way God is going. After all, we’ve not been this way before. Each day of our life is a day we’ve never seen before. How will God lead today? Where is He headed? Will He lead us to the right or left? Will He halt? Will He continue down a straight path?

As faithful men, we are to be the leaders in our families. How can we lead them rightly if we are making plans and racing forward without carefully following after the Lord and seeking Him for His guidance and direction in life?