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What better subject for a new year!  Moses is dead; Joshua carries on.  Here’s the story.  The promised land has been spied out and all systems are go!  The Israelites have followed Joshua to the Jordan River.  The long-awaited for promised land is just ahead.  A new exciting day is dawning.  But then it happens-trouble-an obstacle.  These obstacles may be economic, political, social or personal-but they always come.

The obstacle facing the children of Israel was the flooding of the Jordan River.  There were no boats or bridges just gallons of rushing waters.  They were so close to their destination, could even see it, but couldn’t reach it.  They had to be disappointed as they waited three days to cross over into the promised land.

So what is Joshua’s word to the Israelites and to us as we begin our journey into the new year 2025?

First, acknowledge the source of your hope!  Note in this story that the children of Israel are to be led into the land of promise not by the military, but by the priests. The favorable presence of God must go before them.  Joshua says, “when you see the Ark of the Covenant…go after it.”  The Ark, of course, is the symbol of God’s presence and must be acknowledged.  So, why are these Israelites to keep the Ark in sight?  Plainly and simply, because they do not know the way.  They are about to enter a brand new, unknown territory. And without God’s guidance neither they nor we will know where to go.  Writing in his. book “The Divine Conquest,”  A.W.Tozer states, “Wherever faith has been original, wherever it has proved itself to be real, it has invariably had upon it a sense of the “present God.”  Our hope is in God and his guidance.

Second, set out!  Then you shall set out from your place…”Joshua admonished.  Note again that Joshua doesn’t say that you should crawl out from your place or sneak out from your place.  Joshua said, “Set out!”  “See the Ark-set out!”  Acknowledge God-set out!   I like those words “set out,” and I think they mean “Hang in there.”  Sometimes that is absolutely the best thing we can do “just hang in there.”  Some days survival itself is an achievement.  At 95 years of age, J.C. Penny was asked to share the secret of his life and long success.  He quickly replied, “Being grateful for all my problems.  As I have dealt with each one, I became stronger.  I grew on my difficulties.”  It sounds like J.C. Penny knew how to hang in there.  He had fortitude which means “firmness of spirit.”

Third, dwell in possibility!  A few years ago, a friend gave me a unique gift that I treasure very much.  It’s a silver paper weight with the following words cut across the front of it, “Dwell in possibility.”  Now, these words remind me of Joshua’s words to the children of Israel, “…For tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you” (Joshua 3:5).  If you study churches or individuals or other groups, you’ll discover that they frequently make it or miss it on how well they manage the possibilities.

Personally, I like the way that Don Quixote expresses it in the “Man of La Mancha” He said, “To dream the impossible dream!”  To make everything better because we dare to believe they can be better.  And we live our lives seeking to make them better.

Happy New Year!