I’ve often wondered what Moses thought when he gazed at the Red Sea or what Joshua felt when he looked at the Jordan River. What was the Apostle Paul sensing when he saw the Mediterranean Sea? It may have been the same feeling that Joseph Willis had when he peered at the Mississippi River.

Major bodies of water have often been obstacles that kept God’s people from His will. Each person mentioned was forced to take a step of faith to cross those seemingly insurmountable boundaries. What motivated them to risk their lives to attempt the impossible?

A Divine call and faith rooted in deep convictions catapulted them beyond borders and boundaries, and they changed the course of history. Moses met with God in the wilderness, Joshua tarried in His presence in the tent of the meeting, and Paul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. It was in those engagements with the almighty, compassionate Father that their hearts were transformed. Faith rose from those Divine meetings as they sensed God’s call and understood His power. They knew that absolutely nothing was impossible with Him.

We often find ourselves paralyzed by boundaries. We see the Red Seas and Jordan Rivers of the 21st century and settle on the wrong side of the river while people desperately need freedom and human hearts suffer in the slavery of sin. How do we traverse those rivers, and where do we find the faith to cross our impossible boundaries?

We find such victory in the same place that the men and women of old found it – in His presence. He has not changed. He still loves people and specializes in the impossible. There’s no river too great, no ocean too wide, and no situation too difficult for Him. We only need to pitch our tent, find our wilderness, stop our hurried lives, and and know that He is God. The impossible suddenly becomes possible in His presence. It’s not the rivers and oceans which keep us from doing great things. It’s the lack of His presence.