The Lord says:
"Prepare, prepare, prepare! Sanctify, sanctify, sanctify! Clear the clutter! Clear what needs to clear! Put your house in order! Because I am about to do great things and great exploits in your life and through your life! No matter how the world changes, My Word is still the same. Look to Me, and keep soaking in My Word and in My Spirit. And I will show you greater things ahead of you."
Indeed the world has been changing very fast. Everything is accelerating. But one thing that never changes is the Word of God! The Word of God is still the Word of God! In Matthew 24:35, Jesus Himself said: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."
The Lord is also saying to you, beloved, that no matter what past you may have, or no matter how broken your past may be, He still remembers you and He still has a purpose for you. He still wants to do something great in your life and through your life!
Joshua 1:1-3 (NKJV) says, 'After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying: "Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them - the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses."'
In this time and season, this applies to you too. Let your past be past. Let the bygone be bygone. The Lord is in the midst of healing you. The Lord is in the midst of restoring you. The Lord is in the midst of renewing you. Yes indeed, your "Moses" is dead, and this is your Joshua's time! This is the time to receive fresh anointing from the Lord! This is the time to receive new strength from the Lord!
We go all the way to Joshua 3 now. Joshua 3:5-6 (NKJV) says, 'And Joshua said to the people, "Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you." Then Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, "Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over before the people." So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.'
The word 'sanctify' here is 'kawdash' in Hebrew. It can mean 'to make clean, to consecrate, to prepare, to purify, to dedicate, to be separate, to be set apart.' In the context of our study today, the Lord wants us to be separated or set apart from the unwholesome things that are happening in this world. You may be in the world, but you are not of the world. You are of God. You are born of God. That's what the Scripture says about you. You are born again the moment you have received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord. So, let the Holy Spirit fill you right now. Let the Holy Spirit wash you clean, cleanse you, and purify you right now. Let the Holy Spirit teach you how to be set apart from whatever that is unwholesome in this world.
I would like to bring you to another version for Joshua 3:5-6. This time, I read from New American Standard Bible (NASB). 'Then Joshua said to the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do miracles among you." And Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, "Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over ahead of the people." So they took up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people.'
Now, 'the ark of the covenant' here symbolizes 'the glory of the Lord.' Jesus is your glory! Jesus is the glory of the Lord who goes ahead of you. You part is to follow Him. Wherever the glory cloud goes, you follow. And you are going to see with your own eyes (both spiritual eyes and physical eyes) miracles, signs and wonders happening in your life and through your life. You are entering this time and season of your life! Believe for it!
How did the translators of New Living Translation (NLT) translate Joshua 3:5-6? Let's read here. 'Then Joshua told the people, "Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you." In the morning Joshua said to the priests, "Lift up the Ark of the Covenant and lead the people across the river." And so they started out and went ahead of the people.'
Indeed beloved, this is a new dawn for you! See the words 'In the morning' here. Yes, weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. It's a new day for you. The sun has begun to shine brighter and brighter upon you. Receive this by faith, even as you look to the Lord and keep trusting in the Lord your God. Amen!
Let's look at one more version, and let's go to The Amplified Bible now. 'Then Joshua said to the people, "Sanctify yourselves [for His purpose], for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders (miracles) among you." Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over [the river] ahead of the people." So they took up the ark of the covenant and went on ahead of the people.'
Notice the words 'sanctify yourselves [for His purpose]' here? So, if you think you are purposeless and hopeless, the Lord is releasing a new purpose and a new hope to you right now! Your part is to embrace all that He wants to give to you. Amen!
I want to pray for you right now. Let there be open heaven right now. Let there be a release of fresh anointing upon you right now. Let there be a release of new strength upon you right now. Let the glory of the Lord be upon you. And wherever you go, darkness has to flee. Because when the glory and the light comes, darkness has to flee. I also want to pray for you that wherever you go, there will be shalom peace, and the favor of the Lord is with you, just as what Joshua had experienced those days, in that time and season!
It's not too late yet for you to prepare yourself. Clear the clutter of your life. Clear whatever that needs to clear in your life. Clear whatever unwholesome things in your life. Let the blood of Jesus Christ wash you and cleanse you white as snow. And that's how you are being readied and prepared for the greater things that are coming your way!
Joshua 3:8 (NKJV) says, 'You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, "When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan."'
Yes, many of God's people are at the crossroads in their lives right now. They are about to cross a certain threshold in their lives. And if that person is you, this is what you can do now: Continue to stand strong in the Word of God. Do not be swayed by the enemy or by all kinds of temptations of this world. But you stand!
The word 'stand' here is 'aw-mad' in Hebrew. It can mean 'to continue, to abide, to remain, to be firm.' Yes, to be firm in all that the Lord has spoken to you in this new season of your life! And yes, to stand strong and to continue to abide in Him and in His Word!
There will be some of you who are going to see your promotion in spite of the odds. There will be some of you who are going to see new open doors, when many others in the world are having 'closed doors'. There will be some of you who are going to see some pleasant surprises. And there will be some of you who are going to see restoration in certain relationships that have been broken, especially family relationships. Just keep looking to the Lord, and keep standing strong in His Word. Keep eating from the Word of God and drinking from the Spirit of God. Word and Spirit. Spirit and Word. Amen!
Joshua 3:9-10 (NKJV) says, 'So Joshua said to the children of Israel, "Come here, and hear the words of the Lord your God." And Joshua said, "By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites."'
In other words, the Lord your God is clearing the way for you! As you clear the clutter in your life, and as you clear what you need to clear in your life, the Lord will clear the way for you! The Lord will ward off every work of the enemy - north, south, east, west. The Lord will make the way clear for you. The Lord is going to even send His angels to prepare the way for you!
As you take this step of faith, and as you heed what the Lord has spoken, Joshua 3:13 (NKJV) says: "And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap."
You see? The way had been made clear for Joshua and the people to cross over. They saw their first miracle, sign and wonder in the new season of their lives. And that's how they crossed over! And you know what? The rest is history. They saw many victories and breakthroughs that moment onwards. I want to believe the same for you. Yes, you too are going to see many victories and breakthroughs in your life, going forward! The best is yet to come! Amen!
