Maintain a Distance
By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe
We know, both from the Word of God and from personal
experience, that we should maintain a distance from situations and people who
may lead us into temptation and sin. However, that is not the only distance we should
maintain. As they were entering the Promised Land, the Lord cautioned Joshua
and the Israelites to maintain a distance from the Ark of the Covenant so that
they could more clearly see the path they were to follow.
Joshua 3: 1-4 “Joshua rose early in the morning; and they
set out from Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of
Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over. So it was, after three days,
that the officers went through the camp; and they commanded the people, saying,
When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the
Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. Yet
there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by
measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go,
for you have not passed this way before.''
Our nation has not passed this way before. As believers who walk in faith, we must stand
back a bit and withhold our judgement of both good and evil until we have a
better perspective. This is not a time
for impulsive reaction.
Even while mainstream media and talk show participants react
in fear and the resulting anger, we cannot respond out of our own fear and
anger. We must maintain a distance from ungodly emotional response. Jesus said that He would establish His church
and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. It is time for us to stand back, to pray for
those who despitefully use us, for those who persecute us for His name’s sake
(Matthew 5:44). It is time to maintain a distance in order to watch what the
Lord is doing.
It is also time for us to follow Joshua’s addition instruction:
“And Joshua said to the people, "Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the
Lord will do wonders among you'' (Joshua 3:5).
To sanctify is to set apart for the purposes of God. Micah 6:8: “He has shown you, O man, what is
good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God?”
To sanctify ourselves, we must, in spite of
the situation and those around us, act justly even when others do not. We must desire and pray for the mercy of God
in our lives and in the lives of others. We must humble ourselves in the sight
of the Lord and allow Him to lift us up (James 4:10).
It is time for us to sanctify ourselves, to maintain a holy
distance, and to watch what the Lord has done, is doing and will continue to
do.
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