Prepare to Cross - Hands Empty

Sep 07, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Threshold Moments and the Call to Consecration

The Israelites stood at the Jordan’s edge, poised between desert wandering and promised abundance. Consecration wasn’t about earning favor but preparing their hearts to partner with God’s miracle. Like engagement requires saying “no” to old patterns to embrace a new covenant, consecration means shedding what distracts to make space for divine purpose. It’s an active choice to live as “temple furniture”—set apart, treated with care, ready for sacred use. What we pour into our lives (resentment or righteousness) will flow out. Today invites us to ask: What clutter fills my hands, blocking me from crossing into God’s next promise? [08:04]

“Joshua told the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.’”
(Joshua 3:5, ESV)

Reflection: What “threshold moment” are you facing where God is asking you to prepare inwardly before stepping forward? How might releasing one habit or attitude today create space for His “amazing things” tomorrow?

Day 2: The Hill of Foreskins: Removing What Holds Us Back

Israel’s circumcision at Gilgal was messy, painful, and undignified—a literal cutting away of old identity. This act wasn’t about ritual but renouncing Egypt’s shame to fully embrace covenant belonging. For us, it mirrors the costly choice to sever habits, mindsets, or generational patterns that keep us enslaved to lesser stories. Like antique furniture restored, consecration requires removing grime to reveal our God-crafted design. What “foreskin”—symbolic of reproductive cycles of brokenness—needs excision so future generations inherit freedom? [34:49]

“After the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed. Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.’”
(Joshua 5:8–9, ESV)

Reflection: What repetitive cycle or ingrained mindset feels like “Egypt’s reproach” in your life? What courageous step could you take this week to “cut it away” and heal?

Day 3: From Resentment to Release: Emptying Our Hands

Resentment clenches fists around past hurts, poisoning our capacity to receive new grace. Like Israel’s quarrels in the desert, nursing grievances distracts from God’s forward call. Consecration demands releasing what we’ve reheated—anger, bitterness, petty debates—to uncurl our hands and lift empty palms. Just as the Jordan’s crossing required trusting God’s path “you’ve never been this way before,” forgiveness frees us to walk unburdened. What bitter “morsel” have you been wolfing down, unaware it’s devouring your joy? [22:08]

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
(Ephesians 4:31–32, ESV)

Reflection: Is there a specific resentment you’ve cradled like a “toothsome morsel”? What would it look like to place it on the altar today, trusting God to replace it with tenderheartedness?

Day 4: Temple Furniture: Living as Set Apart

A battered sofa endures spills and stains, but temple artifacts are handled with awe. Consecration shifts our self-perception: we’re not disposable but designed for holy use. When we internalize being “dearly loved” (Colossians 3:12), we stop tolerating what degrades our God-given dignity. This isn’t elitism but stewardship—treating our time, relationships, and bodies as sacred. What daily practice (prayer, boundaries, gratitude) could remind you you’re “antique, priceless, with an eternal price”? [17:57]

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.”
(Colossians 3:12, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you default to treating yourself or others like a “worn-out sofa”? How might honoring your sacred design today alter your choices or conversations?

Day 5: Seek Week: Making Room for Renewal

Israel’s first act in the Promised Land was celebrating Passover—renewing covenant joy through feasting. Consecration isn’t deprivation but creating space for God to fill. Seek Week invites intentional rhythms: swapping autopilot routines for worship, prayer, or stillness. Like memorial stones, these moments become markers of God’s faithfulness. What if one nightly hour this week traded Netflix for Scripture, or a walk became a praise pilgrimage? Miracles await those who “prepare today for what God will do tomorrow.” [42:05]

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
(2 Chronicles 7:14, ESV)

Reflection: What practical step (e.g., a tech fast, prayer walk) could you take this Seek Week to “humble yourself and seek His face”? How might this intentional space become a memorial stone for future faith?

Sermon Summary

Joshua 3 places Israel on the banks of the Jordan, right at the threshold of the promise God had been leading them toward. The wilderness had brought Israel out of Egypt, but the wilderness also had to get Egypt out of Israel: slavery had left its mark on their hearts, habits, and identity. Joshua’s command, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you,” calls for preparation before the miracle, obedience before explanation.

Consecration means cleansing, sacrifice, and dedication. Christ has already made his people clean through repentance and his perfect sacrifice, so dedication is not an attempt to earn God’s love. Consecration is a relational yes to Jesus that becomes “a million noes to a million other things.” That yes creates a different posture, purpose, and way of life because God’s people have been set apart for sacred use.

Colossians 3 roots that call in identity: God’s people are already holy and dearly loved, and therefore they are called to clothe themselves with a holy way of life. The image of temple furniture presses the point home. A child of God is not a battered old sofa for anyone to slump into or treat carelessly, but a priceless antique with an eternal price. That identity shift exposes destructive habits, self-contempt, and compromises that keep people living as though they do not deserve freedom.

Paul’s call to flee evil desires and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace makes consecration active. Resentment, quarrelling, foolish arguments, anger, and whatever fills the cup will eventually spill out under pressure. Anger can feel like a feast, but it consumes the person feeding on it. God delivers people from slavery, so they must not carry the things that control them into the promised land.

Joshua’s later movements into the land give three practices for consecrated living: remember, remove, and renew. Memorial stones kept Israel from forgetting God’s goodness. Circumcision marked the removal of Egypt’s reproach and pointed forward to the Spirit’s circumcision of the heart, where old ways are cut away so that a life of love can be built in their place. Passover renewed Israel through worshipful remembrance and shared feast.

The call stands at every threshold moment: empty hands of sin, hurt, resentment, fear, and unforgiveness, then make room for God. God does not always reveal the whole strategy, but God calls his people to prepare today for the wonders he will do tomorrow.

Key Takeaways

1. A yes to Jesus costs something Consecration is not religious effort designed to impress God. It is the costly shape of love, where devotion to Christ changes what receives time, attention, money, and desire. A life that says yes to Jesus cannot remain fully available to every competing attachment. [10:28]
2. You are set apart for sacred use Holiness begins with receiving the truth that Christ has already made his people clean and dearly loved. That identity refuses both shame and self-neglect, because no child of God should be treated like a worn-out sofa. Sacred use means asking what helps a soul stay shining, safe, and celebrated before God. [15:14]
3. Empty resentment before crossing over Resentment keeps hurt alive by continually feeling it again. Anger may feel satisfying for a moment, but it quietly turns a person back into a slave of the very thing they cannot release. Forgiveness does not deny pain or require unsafe reconciliation, but it does refuse to carry poison into a new season. [22:08]
4. Choose what fills the cup What comes out under pressure reveals what has been allowed in. A life fed by quarrelling, cultural junk, and old wounds cannot naturally overflow with peace, faith, love, and righteousness. Consecration requires intentional attention because a person cannot be full of resentment and full of peace at the same time. [25:39]
5. Remember, remove, and renew Memorial stones train forgetful hearts to remember that God has been faithful. Removal takes courage because old habits and identities may be painful to cut away, yet they cannot be allowed to define the future. Renewal creates actual space in the calendar and heart for God to fill.

## [39:39]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[03:41] - Hands Empty, Eyes Up, Hearts Full
[04:42] - Israel at the Jordan Threshold
[07:08] - Consecrate Yourselves
[08:26] - Cleansing, Sacrifice, and Dedication
[10:28] - A Yes That Creates Many Noes
[14:25] - Set Apart for Sacred Use
[18:52] - Turning From What Holds You Back
[23:17] - Leaving Resentment Behind
[25:10] - Flee and Pursue
[29:29] - Living Free Instead of Slaves
[30:19] - Remember God’s Goodness
[32:46] - Remove Egypt’s Reproach
[39:03] - Renew Through Worship and Seeking
[42:29] - Obedience Before Explanation
[43:35] - What Needs Laid Down?

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Joshua 3:5
“Then Joshua said to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.’” [07:59]

Colossians 3:12
“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,” [15:14]

2 Timothy 2:22
“So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” [20:30]

Joshua 4:6-7
“that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” [30:32]

Observation questions

In Joshua 3, what were the Israelites told to do before the Lord did wonders among them? What does the order of Joshua’s command show? [07:57]
According to Colossians 3:12, what identity does Paul give God’s people before he tells them what to “put on”?
In 2 Timothy 2:22, what are believers told to flee from, and what are they told to pursue instead? Why are both directions important? [25:10]
What purpose did the memorial stones serve for Israel and for the generations that came after them? [30:32]

Interpretation questions

If Christ has already made his people holy and dearly loved, why does a holy way of life still matter? How is dedication different from trying to earn God’s love? [15:19]
Joshua told Israel to consecrate themselves without first explaining exactly how God would get them across the Jordan. What might obedience before explanation look like when a person is facing an uncertain next step? [41:57]
Paul connects fleeing harmful desires with pursuing righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Why is it usually not enough simply to stop a destructive habit without replacing it with a better pursuit? [26:16]
Israel’s memorial stones turned a miracle into a story that could be retold. Why can people who have experienced God’s faithfulness still struggle to remember it when facing a new challenge? [30:54]

Application questions

Is there a threshold moment in your life right now—a new season, decision, relationship, responsibility, or challenge? What might it mean for you to prepare your heart today rather than waiting until you understand the whole plan? [42:12]
A yes to Jesus includes many smaller noes. Is there something that has been taking too much of your time, attention, money, energy, or desire and making it difficult to give yourself fully to God? What is one realistic boundary you could consider? [10:20]
God’s children are holy and dearly loved, not worn-out furniture to be used carelessly. Are there ways you have been treating yourself—or allowing others to treat you—that do not reflect your worth in Christ? What would healthier care, boundaries, or support look like? [17:41]
What tends to spill out of you when you are under pressure: peace, faith, love, anger, criticism, resentment, or something else? What have you been allowing to fill your “cup” during an ordinary week? [25:53]
Is there a hurt, resentment, or unforgiveness that you have been repeatedly carrying and feeling again? What would it look like to bring that honestly to God and begin releasing it, while still taking wise steps toward healing and safety if needed? [22:26]
What is one old habit, mindset, attitude, or pattern of shame that needs to be removed so it does not follow you into the next season? What support from God’s people could help you take that step? [36:21]
What could become a “memorial stone” in your life or household this week—a journal entry, a shared meal, a written answer to prayer, or a conversation about God’s goodness? How could that practice help you renew your attention toward God? [31:45]

Sermon Clips

32s

#ObedienceBeforeExplanation

“Standing on the banks of the Jordan, God doesn't tell the people what he's gonna do. He doesn't tell them how he's gonna get them across. He doesn't give them the whole strategy or the plan of what's coming. He doesn't explain that he's about to do a miracle. He just says, prepare yourselves. Get ready today for what I will do tomorrow. Obedience before explanation. And sometimes God wants us to do work today so that we can see wonders tomorrow.”

60s

#IdentityInChrist

“You've been made holy. You are dearly loved. And we need that identity shift, I think. We need that reminder from God that you are not that broken person who has failed. You are not tainted and blemished. You've been sanctified by Christ, washed, made clean. You are brand new. Now clothe yourself with a holy way of life. Set yourself apart. It's like furniture for the temple. It is set apart. And you don't treat that temple furniture like you would your sofa at home. Right? You don't slump into it. This is for sacred use. And so are you. No one gets to just slump into you. Don't treat yourself like a battered old worn out sofa, and don't let anyone else treat you that way either.”

29s

#SetApartLiving

“So this is not about making ourselves holy. You've been made holy. You are dearly loved. This is not about getting god to love you more. But because you are holy and because you are loved, clothe yourself with a holy way of life. How is your way of life looking? Does it look different? To anyone around you, does it look set apart?”

40s

#OneNightForGod

“What if you just commit to taking one night a week this month? Just for this month, one night a week when you don't have a fixed thing in your calendar and you just say, you know what? Instead of just filling that with Netflix or whatever I autopilot do, what if I just take that one night and I just say, god, I'm gonna pursue you on that night. I'm gonna choose to pray. I'm gonna put a worship setlist on. I'm gonna read my bible. I'm gonna start a Christian book, whatever it might be. What if you just make space for god? I guarantee he's gonna spill that fill that space, and you will never regret it. And you might never be the same.”

30s

#MakeRoomForGod

“Can choose to consecrate ourselves today in order that the Lord will do wondrous things among us tomorrow. Laying down those habits or attitudes is not easy, but as we lay those things down, we find we've made room in the cup. We've made room for more of God, and God loves a heart and a life and a calendar that has room for him. They will fill that space that we make.”

37s

#FreedomFromAnger

“An angry person is not a free person. They're a slave to it because they can't control it. It controls them. And God is in the business of taking us out of slavery, out of Egypt, and into the promised land. And we need to get rid of the things that are holding us captive on the other side of the river if we want the promise. Consecrate yourself, set yourself apart, and make room for the full life and promises of God.”

50s

#LiveDistinctly

“We're not supposed to be the world plus Jesus. We're supposed to be this unique, peculiar people that are different and stand out. People that that make other people say, why do you live that way? Why have you made those choices? Because of the righteousness that flows from our life. And that means that sometimes we've got to do an audit, and we've got to remove what isn't helping, recalibrate our desires, and renew our attentiveness to God. Consecration is not about earning God's favor, but it is about making room for God's activity in my life. I can't earn his love, but I can come into alignment with it.”

42s

#FillWithRighteousness

“Well, why did that anger come out while I was driving or or frustrated at the school gates? Why did I act that way in that moment? Well, what am I putting in? Am I putting in resentment? Am I putting in quarreling? Then what's gonna come out? Resentment, anger, quarreling. And we have to ask ourselves, what do I wanna be full of? What would I like to pour into my life? How about righteousness, faith, love, and peace? That sounds pretty good.”

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