Crossing With Courage

Trusting God when He calls us to step into the unknown.

There comes a moment in every believer’s journey when the shoreline no longer feels like home.When comfort begins to feel too small for the calling God has placed on your life.

For Israel, that moment came at the banks of the Jordan River. Behind them was wilderness—familiar, predictable, safe in its own exhausting way. Ahead of them was promise—Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey. But between the two lay water. A barrier they couldn’t cross without courage and faith.

The Jordan has always represented more than a river. It’s a threshold.

It’s the place between what we know and what we’re called to become.

And like the Israelites, every one of us will face our own Jordan.

We can see the promise. We can almost taste it. But God doesn’t build a bridge for us to cross in comfort. He calls us to step into the current, to trust Him enough to get our feet wet.

“Faith doesn’t build bridges—it takes steps.”

When Joshua led the people to the water’s edge, God’s instruction was clear: the priests carrying the ark had to step first. Only when their feet touched the river would the waters part.

Imagine that moment. The river was at flood stage, overflowing its banks. The current was strong. The crowd was watching. Every instinct screamed to wait until the water receded, to ask for proof before moving forward.

But faith rarely offers proof in advance. It offers presence instead.

And when those first steps were taken—when obedience outweighed fear—the impossible happened. The waters stood still. Dry ground appeared. The nation crossed over.

We often want the miracle before the motion. But God’s power is most often revealed after the step.

Your Jordan may not be a river. It might be a conversation you’ve been avoiding. A calling you’ve delayed. A dream you’ve buried beneath practicality. It might even be the courage to let go of what once worked so you can follow God into something new.

Whatever it is, the promise still stands: God will make a way where there was none.

But first, you have to move.

Faith isn’t about seeing the path—it’s about trusting the One who parts the waters.

So when the edge feels uncertain and the current looks too strong, remember: courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s the presence of obedience in spite of it.

Step in.The river will part.And on the other side, you’ll find not only the promise, but the God who carried you through.

— Rich Van Doorn