Story behind the song
While reading the Bible in the book of Joshua where the children of Israel were waiting to go into the promised land ( Joshua chapter 3 ). I could only imagine what it must have been like for Joshua.
In (Joshua 3:7) Our Lord is going to prove to the children of Israel that as He was with Moses,so too, He is going to be with Joshua
Now Joshua is a man, and here he is being told to cross the Jordan river that is over flowing it's banks (Joshua 3:15) and also Joshua is told that the Jordan river will dry up when the soles of the Levites feet touch the water ( Joshua 3:13 ) and the Levites are the those who carry the Ark of God and always lead the way.
This is where my imagination took over. If this would have been me, I would have probably climbed up on a hillside to look things over before I would say anything to anybody. Just to make sure I understood what I thought I understood.
From this hillside one could see the flooded Jordan river and the children of Israel. The children of Israel when told would begin preparations to move on, by packing up everything they owned.
Now all Believers are placed into trials where our faith is tested so we can grow Spiritually, but this was really something.
Joshua as a man might have been thinking, what if this don't work? this crowd is really going to be angry, they are going to pack up everything, tents, cows, wagons, etc. for what? to go stand in a flooded river? and I could see the look on the faces of the Levites while looking at the Jordan river when Joshua told them about the water drying up when their feet touched it.
Our Lord could have made the river bed dry where the people were going to cross before they started to pack up, or right after they packed up or before the Levites lifted the Ark, or right after the Levites lifted the Ark, or before they started walking, or maybe when the Levites were1/2 mile from the river, or maybe 1/4 mile, or about 100 yards, 100 feet, 10 inches? No, it was not untill the Levites feet touched the water, then the water dried up.
As Believers when we look back accross the trial times in our lives, we can see Our Lord is never early, He is never late, He is always right on time
Our 20/20 hind sight rarely needs to be brought into focus, it is our foresight that needs to be strong in times of trouble or in times of trial which come about to give our spiritual muscles exercise.
I know this song has helped me to remember to walk by faith, to trust in the Word of God and not to rely on the things that I see. I hope it will help others also.
Lyrics
VERSE 1
LOOKING AT THE RIVER FROM A DISTANCE
SEEING HOW THE WATER WAS SO HIG
WATCHING ALL THE PEOPLE GATHER ALL THEIR LIVES
COULD THIS BE A DREAM, OR HIS HAND UNSEEN
FOR HIMSELF TO MAGNIFY
VERSE 2
LOOKING AT THE RIVER FROM A DISTANCE
JOSHUA HAD ONLY TO BELIEVE
THAT WHEN THE WATER TOUCHED THE LEVITES FEET
THAT IT WOULD ROLL AWAY
HE HAD TO GO BY FAITH
FOR THE PROMISE THAT WAS MADE
VERSE 3
LOOKING AT THE RIVER FROM A DISTANCE
JOSHUA HAD ONLY TO BELIEVE
THE WORD OF GOD HE HEARD FROM MOSES
THAT HE WOULD BE THE ONE
YES THE CHOSEN ONE,
FOR THE PROMISE THAT WAS MADE
VERSE 4
SOMETIMES THE RIVER IS ALL WE SEE
BLINDED BY DOUBTS AND DISBELIEF
AT THOSE TIMES IF ONLY WE COULD BE
STANDING REALLY STRONG, RELYING SOLELY ON
ALL THE PROMISES TO BE
VERSE 5
LOOKING AT THE RIVER FROM A DISTANCE
JOSHUA HAD ONLY TO BELIEVE
THAT WHEN THE WATER TOUCHED THE LEVITES FEET
THAT IT WOULD ROLL AWAY, AND YES, IT ROLLED AWAY
OH THEY CROSSED UPON DRY GROUND
CHORUS
TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND SOUL
DO NOT RELY ON THINGS YOU SEE
HEAVEN AND EARTH ONE DAY WILL PASS AWAY
THE WORD OF GOD IS HERE TO STAY