We’ve been getting a lot of rain this year here in California. We’ve so desperately needed rain since we’ve been in a drought for years. One thing I’ve noticed about the rain is how long it takes for the ground to dry after it rains. Part of my daily devotions is walking and spending time with the Lord out in nature. This means walking on paths that get muddy and often when there’s too much mud, become impassible.

While reading Joshua today, something I hadn’t thought much about stood out to me. When the Israelites crossed the Jordan, the ground was dry. Indeed, the same thing happened when they crossed the Red Sea.

For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over.

Joshua 4:23 (NIV)

As I consider the parting of the Red Sea and the crossing of Jordan, what stands out isn’t that the sea parted or the waters of the Jordan piled up in heaps. While those are extraordinary feats worthy of mentioning, the dry ground stands out. Why? Well, think about the mud you’ve encountered in your life. We’ve had rain off and on for the last couple of months, and the ground, which had been so dry that it’s cracking in places, has been muddy even when it hasn’t rained for a week or two.

When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time swimming and diving in Deep Creek Lake in Western Maryland, and when I wasn’t doing that, I ran through the creeks and rivers near my parent’s home near Washington, DC. I remember diving to the bottom of Deep Creek lake and walking through streams and rivers. The ground is so muddy that it’s easy to sink in, and if you’re not careful, it’s possible to get stuck. Even when the water got low, the uncovered ground stayed muddy for a long time. Imagine what it would have been like for the Red Sea or the Jordan, where the water had covered the earth for thousands of years.

Yet, Scripture tells us the ground was dry. I find this incredible because God thinks of everything even when we don’t. At the Red Sea, the Egyptians were pressing down on the Israelites, and they needed to flee. Even if humans had the means to part the waters, we still would have had to deal with the muddy ground. Consider this incident from Acts.

In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.

Acts 14:8-10 (NIV)

This man from Lystra had never walked. Not only does this mean he didn’t know how to walk, but it also means that his body wasn’t trained to walk. Thus, his muscles, joints, and everything needed to take a single step, let alone jump up and walk, didn’t know how. Most of the time, when someone is healing from an injury that has prevented them from walking, they need physical therapy. And this is for people who knew how to walk before. Yet, this man gets up and knows all about walking! Why? Because God thinks of everything.

When we pray, we’re told to be specific in prayer. However, this doesn’t mean we must tell God how we want him to answer our prayers. Like the blind men outside Jericho who shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” we need to be specific (Matthew 20:30 NIV). This is why Jesus asked them, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Matthew 20:32 NIV). When they asked for sight, the Lord gave it to them.

So whatever you’re praying for, whether it be healing or salvation for a loved one, remember that God will take care of the details while all you need to do is have faith that he’ll do it. If He asked you to do something along the way, do whatever he asked you in faith, trusting him.

Do you know God? God knows you, and he loves you. He sees you as significant because you are. No one is insignificant to Him. He’s with you today, and he wants you to know him. Jesus died for your sins and mine so we could be free of guilt, freed from death, and live eternally with him. Eternal salvation is just a prayer away.

Pray this prayer with me to accept the gift of salvation:

Lord Jesus, forgive me for all my sins. I repent from my ways. Wash me in your blood and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I believe you died on the cross and were buried, and God the Father raised you from the dead on the third day. Right now, Lord Jesus, I open the door to my heart and receive you into my heart as my Lord and personal Savior. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, then congratulations! You are on the first step of a brand new life. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to my family, the family of God. There are abundant resources available online for new Christians. You can visit here for more information on what to do next. You can also leave me a comment, and I’ll do my best to help you on the next step of this incredible journey.

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