When Joshua was ready to take the children of Israel across the Jordan, he instructed them to follow the ark of the covenant.
The single caveat was that they should not get too close to the ark but stay two thousand cubits (three thousand feet) away from it. According to Joshua 3:4, this was “in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.” So, if you were too close, it would be difficult to see and follow the ark because of the crowd (with all their noise and movement) in front of you.
In my life, I have been aware that being too close to a situation sometimes makes it difficult to “see” the Lord’s guidance or know how to proceed. Sometimes distance – and time – can bring perspective. Our phones and computers offer a “zoom in/zoom out” feature. Intrinsic in God’s divine wisdom is the long view. He sees what circumstances need to be arranged and intertwined for His purposes to be accomplished in our lives. We often operate better in hindsight, appreciating how an alarming life event eventually played out for our good.
I am encouraged to take the long view, to “zoom out” from a challenging situation and pray for God’s viewpoint, rather than trying to jump in and start working out “my” solutions. It helps me be more patient and trust Him, even when the dilemma screams for attention. He goes before us. I am thankful.
~Nan Robertson
Christ Fellowship