HOW WILL YOU DO IN THE SWELLING OF THE JORDAN? – Shannon Cannon
Over this past crazy year of 2020, the Lord has been teaching me about the armor of God. Lately, I have been tempted to relax my stance and drop my shield for just a moment, out of weariness–weariness in my flesh, weariness in my mind, weariness in my spirit. However, every time my arm has begun to droop just a bit, the Lord has brought this scripture to my mind…Jeremiah 12:5, “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace in which you trusted, they wearied you, then how will you do in the swelling of the Jordan?”
It’s as if the Lord has been gently rebuking me and yet urging me to continue on at the same time. I felt he was telling me that I couldn’t grow weary yet, that the battle was just beginning. I understood from this scripture that God knew there would be greater challenges Jeremiah would have to face, that he was going to have to run with horses in the future. And he had to learn how to trust God in his present challenge, in order to prepare him for the greater challenges to come. If he couldn’t keep up with the men on foot, then he would definitely have trouble keeping up with the horses. I knew the Lord was teaching me this same thing—that there were greater challenges ahead—but I had to do a little research to understand the part about the swelling of the Jordan.
Joshua 3:15 says, “…for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest…” So the swelling of the Jordan occurred at harvest time. Jesus told us in Matthew 13:39 that, “…the harvest is the end of the age.” So we can look at the swelling of the Jordan as a time of harvest at the end of the age. The Lord was trying to show me that we are coming into a time where the swelling of the Jordan is beginning to happen. This sounds like a good thing—a time of harvest—exactly what we’ve been praying for!! So what did the Lord mean by this question? Well, whenever the Jordan River would swell and overflow its banks, the lions and other beasts in the surrounding jungle would rush inland to escape the waters. It wasn’t the river that was the problem, it was the wild beasts that came out as a result of the rising river. I believe we are facing and are going to soon face a time of unprecedented spiritual warfare. The swelling of the Jordan will be the greatest of all warfare. But it carries with it the promise of the outpouring of God’s presence, and the greatest river of God that we’ve ever known—the last great move of God in the earth! We’ve been praying and believing God for this very thing!! But before we swim in this river, we may have to face the beasts.
This year has definitely been a trying time for us all. The devil is trying to wear us down in many ways, but I feel the Lord is saying, “You are still living in a land of peace! You have barely run with the footmen! You cannot grow weary yet!! You cannot become tired and weak! There is a battle to be fought!!” We need the armor of God, but if you take a weak man who is barely able to stand and put the best armor on him, he will still be an ineffective soldier. He will be easily beaten. And as important as the armor of God is for us to have, and to take, and to put on, we have to BE STRONG in the Lord and in the power of HIS might FIRST, (Ephesians 6:10) and then we can put on the whole armor of God (vs.11-13)- that we may be able TO STAND against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, TO STAND.
To stand means–
We are going to be attacked
We must not be frightened
We must not slouch, no self-pity
We must be in our positions and alert
We do not give even a thought to retreat
So how do we do this? We stand in the power of HIS might. It is HIS might (think muscles)—we have HIS MUSCLES in our body, and we see the power when we exercise those muscles—by FAITH. Faith is to STAND FAST in the Lord (I Thessalonians 3:7-8). Faith is that men ought always to pray and not to faint (Luke 18:1-8). By faith we rely on HIS might and STAND firm and BE STRONG. We have to have faith and believe that He is all powerful, believe that it is GOD that works in us both TO WILL and TO DO for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13)—and stand in that without wavering. After we put on the armor, we must pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints (Ephesians 6:18) For GOD IS ABLE to subdue all things to himself… therefore, STAND FAST in the Lord (Philippians 3:21–4:1) WATCH YE, STAND FAST in the faith, quit you like men, BE STRONG (I Corinthians 16:13). STAND FAST in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; And in nothing terrified by your adversaries. (Philippians 1:27-28).
Finally, we cannot do this alone. We need one another. Hebrews 10:23-25, 35-38 says, “Let us HOLD FAST the profession of our hope WITHOUT WAVERING (for He is faithful that promised); and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and SO MUCH THE MORE, as ye see the day approaching. CAST NOT AWAY YOUR CONFIDENCE… for ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by FAITH; but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
There are some who will draw back, who will not endure. Some who may fall away out of weariness or even fear. Oh friends, let it not be so among us!! We are so close!!!
The Jordan is swelling, it’s time to get ready. Our promise is coming soon, and the harvest is almost here! We may have to face some difficulties in the days ahead and fight some spiritual battles, but God has been preparing us. If that is what it takes to be able to see a great outpouring of His Holy Spirit in these last days, then let us rise and stand together by the grace of God and the power of HIS might. Let us stand fast and have faith. We are going to swim in the Jordan, and He is going to see us through to the other side. Praise God!!