As soon as the soles of the feet of the priests…shall rest in the water…the waters shall be cut off."(Joshua
The people were not to wait in their camps until the way was opened, they were to walk by faith. They were to break camp, pack up their goods, form in line to march, and move down to the very banks before the river would be opened.
If they had come down to the edge of the river and then had stopped for the stream to divide before they stepped into it, they would have waited in vain. They must take one step into the water before the river would be cut off.
We must learn to take God at His Word, and go straight on in duty, although we see no way in which we can go forward. The reason we are so often balked by difficulties is that we expect to see them removed before we try to pass through them.
If we would move straight on in faith, the path would be opened for us. We stand still, waiting for the obstacle to be removed, when we ought to go forward as if there were no obstacles.━Evening Thoughts
Behind him lay the gray Azores
Behind the gates of Hercules
Before him not the ghost of shores
Before him only shoreless seas.
The good Mate said: "Now we must pray
For lo! the very stars are gone.
Brave Admiral, speak, what shall I say
Why, say, 'Sail on! sail on! and on
My men grow mutinous day by day
My men grow ghastly wan and weak
The stout Mate thought of home; a spray
Of salt wave washed his swarthy cheek.
What shall I say, brave Admiral, say
If we sight naught but seas at dawn
Why, you shall say at break of day
Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on
They sailed. They sailed. Then spake the Mate
This mad sea shows its teeth tonight.
He curls his lip, he lies in wait
With lifted teeth, as if to bite
Brave Admiral, say but one good word
What shall we do when hope is gone
The words leapt like a leaping sword
Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on
Then, pale and worn, he kept his deck
And peered through darkness. Ah! that night
Of all dark nights! And then a speck
A light! A light! A light! A light
It grew, a starlit flag unfurled
It grew to be Time's burst of dawn.
He gained a world; he gave that world
Its grandest lesson: "On! sail on
Joaquin Miller
Faith that goes forward triumphs.