What do you do with the pain and sorrow in your life, when it seems that God is absent? The answer for me is: Lean on the promises. Everywhere in Holy Scripture there are promises from God…promises of salvation, promises of comfort, promises of solutions to problems.

We all know about Moses leading the Israelites through the Red Sea on dry land, but do you know the story of Joshua leading the Israelites through the Jordan River? Joshua lead the Israelites after Moses’ death, but between them and the Promised Land was the Jordan River. Joshua believed the promises of God and he followed God’s instructions: God says: “Tell the priests to carry the Ark of the Covenant to the edge of the Jordan River and stand in the water… gather the people behind them…and when [the priests] step into the water, it will stop. The river will stop flowing and will stand up in a heap [to the right and to the left]” (Joshua 3). Once again, God honors a promise…saving His people. Can’t you just visualize the priests carrying the Ark, poles resting on their shoulders, singing psalms and spiritual songs, stepping into the water that begins to part to their right and to their left. And they are followed by thousands of people who trust in what they have seen and heard: their God is with them always.

God keeps His promises and He stands with you, holding you up, especially when the world gets you down. What a mighty God we serve!