In this devotional, Pastor Mike Woodruff launches a brand new series through the book of Joshua — and the timing couldn't be more fitting. Coming off the heels of Easter, there's a natural sense that it's time to turn the page, take stock, and step into something new.

The book of Joshua opens with a stark, emotionally loaded statement: Moses is dead. For forty years, Moses had been the towering figure — the one who stood before Pharaoh, delivered the Ten Commandments, and met with God face to face. And now he's gone. In his place stands Joshua, his former assistant, with no fanfare and no resume introduction. Just a calling and a river to cross.

But this moment is about more than a leadership transition. The people of Israel are standing on the same riverbank where their parents had stood forty years earlier — and their parents had turned back in fear. Now it's their turn. And this time, the two spies come back with a different report: We can do this. God is in charge.

That's the heartbeat of Joshua — and Pastor Mike makes clear it's our story too. Wherever you find yourself right now, whether you've been wandering, stuck in the same spot for too long, or facing something that feels like flood-stage waters — this book is an invitation. God is in the business of new beginnings. His mercies, we're told, are new every morning.

But second chances aren't automatic or effortless. The Jordan is at flood stage. The step of faith comes before the waters part. God calls us to move before things feel safe or certain.

So the question Pastor Mike leaves us with is simple and searching: What riverbank are you standing on — and what new ground is God asking you to take?

📖 Series: Joshua — A Devotional Study 🎙️ Pastor: Mike Woodruff 📌 Scripture Focus: Joshua 1 | Lamentations 3:22–23

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