Consecrate Yourself: Before the Miracle Comes the Moment of Preparation

"Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you." — Joshua 3:5Before the miracle comes the moment of preparation. Joshua stands before nearly two million people and tells them to get ready—not just logistically, but spiritually. Clean your hearts. Examine your lives. Confess your sin. Rededicate yourselves. Because God is about to show up and lead you forward.The word "consecrate" means to set apart for a sacred purpose. Israel is preparing to step into the Jordan River and enter the Promised Land. God wants their hearts aligned with Him before He parts the waters.Pastor Mike Woodruff shares a personal story of sailing across Lake Michigan with his two boys when a sudden storm appeared on the horizon. He woke them up, had them put on life preservers, and said, "If you have unconfessed sin, now would be a good time to bring that before the Lord." That's the spirit of this passage. Things are about to get real. Are you ready? Are you right with God?The priests go first, carrying the Ark of the Covenant—representing God's law, God's leadership, and God's provision. And just as the Ark foreshadowed God's presence leading His people, Jesus is the true and better Ark. He perfectly fulfills the law, perfectly leads us, and gives Himself as the bread of life.So here's the question: What is your East Bank? What is God calling you to step into? And before you take that step, have you consecrated yourself? Have you prepared your heart?The miracle is coming. But first comes the moment of preparation.