NASHVILLE (BP) – This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, Lifeway publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from The Gospel Project curriculum.
Bible Passage: Joshua 3
Discussion Questions:
- Why does God’s presence calm our hearts and help us move forward in obedience?
- How has God’s Word taught you to trust in the Lord?
- What barriers do you need to address in your life to believe in God’s presence amid life’s obstacles?
Food for Thought:
God’s presence is a constant in the lives of believers, but sometimes we forget or ignore the promise of His presence. Sometimes this happens on the mountaintops of success or ease of life when we attribute our achievement to our own efforts. Sometimes this happens in the valleys, when trials and hardship abound and we think God has abandoned us.
In Joshua 3, we find God leading Joshua and the Israelites into the Promised Land as they prepared to cross the Jordan River. In one sense, blessings were around the corner. God’s promise of bountiful land for His people was waiting on the other side of the Jordan. The Israelites had a visual symbol of God’s presence in the Ark of the Covenant. It went before them and showed them the way.
In the midst of God’s presence, they were to be obedient. They were to consecrate themselves (v. 5). The Levitical priests were to carry the Ark into the Jordan, and the people were to follow. Enemies stood along the way, including the Canaanites, Hethites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites (v. 10). But the Israelites were reminded that while enemies surrounded them, God is bigger. God, the living God, was among them (v. 10) and would protect them.
The other obstacle was the Jordan River itself. God chose to do something miraculous for this new generation who was not present for the parting of the Red Sea. He parted the Jordan River for the people to cross to show this new generation that all things are possible when they follow a God who is leading and present before them. He is not a God who leaves us alone. He is not unfaithful, as man is. He will fulfill His promise and be ever present in blessings and in trials. With God’s miraculous work and presence, the Israelites crossed the Jordan (v. 17).
Jesus, in the same way, is always with us, leading as we follow. He is Immanuel, “God with us,” through the mountaintops and valleys. He will never leave us nor forsake us. The promise of His presence is a reality of His character, and His presence leads us and beckons us to follow. He leads us to abounding blessings and removes obstacles before us. These blessings are not necessarily in material gain, but in His very presence and in His mission to make us a holy people, set apart for His purposes.
The Gospel Project
The Gospel Project is a chronological, Christ-centered study for kids, students and adults. The Bible is not a collection of stories. It is one story of God s plan to rescue His people from sin and death. It is the story of redemption, the gospel message of Jesus Christ. More information can be found at Lifeway.com/gospelproject.
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