Joshua told the people, “Ritually consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will perform miraculous deeds among you.” (Joshua 3:5)

Before the Israelites could participate and witness God’s miracle, they needed to be consecrated to the Lord. Joshua leads them into consecration or “getting right with God” on two different occasions. The first is before they cross the Jordan River (Joshua 3) and then before they go to battle (Joshua 5).

The Israelites needed to get spiritually ready for the Lord’s work through them. Keathley, a Bible scholar, asserts that consecration includes preparation and dedication to the Lord’s purpose. In other words, God prepares us to do mighty works in Him!

Keathley includes the importance of preparation and dedication in consecration:

• Being reminded of God’s holiness – God cannot have fellowship with a sinful man or woman. (1 Peter 1:16) 
• Demonstrating the necessity of the cross of Christ—without faith in the cross and the cleansing, we can’t be set apart for God’s use or blessings. (James 2:22)
• Recognizing that God doesn’t use unclean vessels—believers are saved and cleansed by the work of Christ; consecration reminds us to deal with the known or unknown sins in our lives. (Colossians 3:8-10)
• Accepting the necessity of understanding our purpose as God’s people along with the commitment to God and His purpose (2 Timothy 2:21)
• Recognizing the need for the Holy Spirit for consecrated living. (Eph 3:16; 5:18)

A New Testament example is seen in the life of Peter. Even after he denied knowing Jesus, the Lord reinstated Peter as a disciple and as a leader of the church (John 21:15-19; Matt 16:18). Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” Peter replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I do.” Jesus then told Peter distinctly to care for the church, “Feed my sheep.” Jesus’ conversation with Peter was a form of consecration as Peter was prepared for the ministry ahead.  

As we pray for God to do a miracle in our workplace, let’s open our hearts to the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying hand.

Keathley III, J. Hampton, Studies in the Life of Joshua. 3. Crossing the Jordan (Joshua 3:1-4:24) https://bible.org/seriespage/3-crossing-jordan-joshua-31-424

Catch up on Joshua’s Leadership Series and read the posts in order.