Dear church, 

“Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.” – Joshua 3:6 

When reading deeply of the Old Testament, you will discover hints of the New. The presence of God rested with the ark of the covenant. The ark led the people across the Jordan River into the Promised Land. Put more accurately, God led the people across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land. It was God who was directing the whole event. He was the leader.

Christians experience God’s presence through the Holy Spirit, who lives inside each of us. The Holy Spirit is our “ark of the covenant,” and it is the “ark of the covenant” of the people of God, the church. God’s presence leads us into places where we have not passed before. 

Following the lead of the Holy Spirit is critical to your life as a Christian. The Holy Spirit often speaks to us in subtle ways. We must learn to listen. The Holy Spirit also will never lead us in a way or to a place that is not supported by the Bible. For the Israelites, God’s presence led them toward the fulfillment of God’s promises, which the people knew from God’s Word to them.

The Holy Spirit, likewise, leads us in living according to God’s will for our lives. You are likely to be surprised at times in how the Holy Spirit does this. The places where He takes you are, indeed, new. “For you have not passed this way before.” The faithful still will follow.

Chris