From where you stand today, you cannot see what God has already done in preparation of your next step. You have no idea of the miracles in motion at this very moment on your behalf. But you can move forward in absolute confidence knowing that God is working specifically for you and he has aligned every detail perfectly.

God not only works here and now, but God works upstream. He works in advance. He works in the things that have yet to come your way. He works so far ahead of you that you cannot possibly fathom his goodness until you’re straight up walking in it.

My sister, when you think God isn’t working, take the next step he is guiding you to and see for yourself how he has in fact been working perfectly.

Have you ever prayed over the house you were to move to next, then have the perfect house come on the market and it becomes yours? Think about all God did before you ever laid eyes on that house to make possible for you. He first had to create an opportunity for the previous owner to move. He promoted them, prompted them, or positioned them to leave so that house would become available for you. All of this happened prior to your need and maybe even before your prayer.

Have you ever had the perfect position come available in your career, and you were somehow aligned to step into it? What you didn’t know is while you were feeling unhappy and discontent where you were before, God was moving some other precious soul onto their next position to open it up for you. You didn’t know it, but God was working far ahead of you.

It’s been happening for you all this time, and you likely don’t recognize it. God, working upstream for you. God, far ahead of you shifting things into alignment for the moment you arrive to an opportunity that will be just perfect for you. Not because you are perfect, but because He is perfect, and he simply loves you beyond belief!

Your perfection is not required to walk in the divine providence of God, just your wonder and awe in the process, as his beloved girl.

I recently heard a sermon from Elevation Church on the miraculous crossing of the Jordan. It’s a story we downsize as ordinary, but this was no ordinary crossing. This was huge. This was a miracle. And this was pre-planned by God for perfect timing. Studying this familiar miracle with fresh eyes has me seeing the hand of God on a whole new level.

Let’s first read the story together. Joshua 3: 5-17 “Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.

And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’”

Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. This is how you will know that the living God is among you. See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”

So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam, while the water flowing down to the Dead Sea was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.”

The Jordan river was a deep and swift river, much greater than it is today. It was especially wild at this time because scripture specifically says it was at flood stage. This was not the optimal time to be stepping your feet into this river. You would be quickly swept away. This is a river that is 50 to 200 feet deep, measuring anywhere from 1/4 to 2 miles wide. These are treacherous, powerful waters.

Yet, when the priests stepped their feet into the water as God had instructed, the waters from upstream stopped flowing. Again, scripture is very specific telling us exactly where the waters stopped and built up. It was in the town of Adam. Adam is 20 miles upstream of Jericho. So, think about it, for the waters to stop when the priests stepped in, God had to have already stopped the waters 20 miles upstream at just the perfect time for the flow to be cleared in that precise moment.

When they arrived at the river, the waters were flooding. However, when they stepped their feet into the water in faith, evidence of what God had already done on their behalf upstream became evident.

The fastest flowing river in the world is the Amazon. It flows at 7 miles per hour. I don’t know how fast the Jordan was flowing, but assuming it could compare to the Amazon River, for the water to stop flowing 20 miles down stream, God would have had to stop the flow at least 3 hours before they ever took their step of faith.

What has God already done 20 miles upstream for you? What has he prepared well in advance of your faithful next step? What impossible crossing has he made totally possible for you, that is just outside of your awareness because he is working upstream in the things that have yet to reach you?

Think about that!

I often share the story of God answering this girl’s very first prayer at the age of 15. My prayer was selfishly for God to bring new boys to our little country school. When I prayed that prayer, I had no way of knowing he had already put into motion the move of a family from Dallas, Texas to Ava, Missouri, and that family included a 17 year old cute boy who would forever change my world. Funny thing is, God was working in crisis and chaos to make that move happen. A boy hanging out with the wrong crowd in Dallas, a family who was desperate for a new start, and a grandpa who had tragically past away leaving a small inheritance to make a move to the country possible. All while I was hoping for a new boy to come to our school.

That’s God’s upstream work that I still walk in the graces of over 30 years later!

You too have a story of how God was working upstream in ways you never imagined, to bring you exactly what you needed when you need it.

And my sister, remember this, if he’s done it once, he can do it again.

Lay down your burdens, your worry and your stress. Release your grip on all you’ve been trying to so desperately to control. God is 20 miles upstream and in complete control of the flow of everything that comes your way. Your job is to take the next step in faith, pause when he leads you to pause, and recognize his presence all around you.

Your perfection is not required to walk in the divine providence of God, just your wonder and awe in the process, as his beloved girl.

Take a deep breath and know, God is already working on this for you and he’s bringing you exactly what you need! Step in and see what he has already done for you!

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