Have you ever felt like something incredible was about to happen? There is an excitement that builds in the waiting. Then, the day arrives and you are blown away by the awesomeness of it all! God is the only One who will always out-do our expectations. In that moment, our trust in God grows. This is how our faith is built.

As we continue our journey in Joshua 3:1-17, we need to get ready. Just like those folks were told, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

If you thought tomorrow God was going to do the most incredible thing you had ever seen, what would you do to prepare for it?

When we look at the definition of consecrate,  we find; “to make or declare sacred.”

“To make or declare sacred”

As we drill down on this a bit, let’s look at the definition of sacred;

1. dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity
2. devoted exclusively to one service or use (as of a person or purpose)
3. worthy of religious veneration :  HOLY
4. entitled to reverence and respect

Leviticus 11:44-45 states; “ I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground. ⁴⁵ I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.”

“Be holy because I am holy.”

What does it mean to be holy?

Scripture teaches us that God is holy. Because of this holiness, we are to be holy too.

As we develop our relationship with God, by communicating with God and reading His Word, we come into God’s presence.

In His presence, we are made holy. This is tricky so stick with me.

God is the only One that makes us holy. However, God will never force Himself upon us. We must take that first step. This is how our faith is built.

Stepping in faith

Every time you step toward God, God steps toward you. “Draw near to God and God will draw near to you.” It is a promise. When we commune with God, we become a little more like Him. Don’t get confused here. We are not God. We never will be. But we have been created in His image. That image lives and breathes within us. Every time we come into the presence of God that image grows a little bit bigger.

When we pray, we believe a source higher than ourselves hears us and might act on our behalf. This is an act of faith.

When we read our Bibles, we believe the words and that image grows a little bit more. This is an act of faith.

As I flipped my calendar today it reads, “Faith grows with every step — and it takes a lifetime to get there.”

So, how is our faith built? One little step at a time.

All these consecrated acts, communing with God through prayer and scripture, whether we know it or not, this is how our faith is built. We step, God steps! The next thing we know, we are following God, in all things.

God is building our faith. Our faith has to be built because we have more stepping out to do! It is going to take all the faith we have to step into that river.

Let us pray;

Oh God, we were created by You and it is in You that we have our very being. Help us to understand Your holiness. Consecrate us for your service so our faith is strong in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.