"You have to take the first step!" -- Jesus Has Already Done it at the River Jordan

One fellow-believe remarked that before the LORD could move in the lives of His people Israel, they had to take the first step at the River Jordan before they could enter the Promised Land.

What does the record show us?

Before we refer to the specific chapter in Joshua, let us bear in mind that the LORD had provided for their every need in the wilderness. He provided a cloud over them during the heat of the day, and His pillar of fire kept them warm at night time. He also rained down manna on His people so that they would not hunger, and he kept them clothed and in good health throughout:

"And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live." (Deuteronomy 8: 3)

Jesus would repeat this verse to thwart the devil's temptations:

"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4: 4)

Jesus Christ is the living Word:

"1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1: 1)

The Word of God became flesh:

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1: 14)

The Word of God testifies of Jesus Christ (Luke 24: 25-27). He is our life (Colossians 3: 3-4), and the fullness of all things is found in Him:

"10That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: " (Ephesians 1: 10)

and

"22And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." (Ephesians 1: 22-23)

Before the Israelites came to the border of the Promised Land, they had learned to walk by faith, living of the Word of God. In the same manner, everything about us, who we are, what we have, and what we do, is all about Jesus Christ, who lives in us and is our hope of glory (Colossians 1: 27).

Right away, therefore, we must dispense with the empty mandate that "You have to take the first step!" in order to receive God's blessings.