• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Sermo Humilis

Humble Speech

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Show Search
Hide Search
You are here: Home / Who we Are Instead / Crossing the Jordan

Crossing the Jordan

October 24, 2019 By David Trounce 2 Comments

Reading Time: 3 minutes
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Crossing the Jordan - Sermo Humilis

Death is a miserable business. It takes us away from all that we cherish in this beautiful world that God has made. And though for the believer it may only represent a momentary transition into something more satisfying than we can imagine, it still has to be faced and tackled.

Crossing the Jordan is a common metaphor found in Christian hymns and literature that refers to our transition from death to life, from this world to the next. It’s grounded in the historical account of the people of Israel crossing the Jordan River and entering the promised land.

Well I looked up over Jordan and what did I see?
Coming for to carry me home.
I saw a band of angels, coming after me.
Coming for to carry me home…
Swing low, sweet chariot…

Reminiscent of Israel’s flight from Egypt and their crossing the Red Sea on dry land while Egypt’s army was swamped by the waves, and, just as Noah sailing across the flood and Elijah being taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot, Israel’s crossing the Jordan pictured the people of God being taken safely to a new world.

I have watched many people die. Some were shaking their fists in fear and anger as the waves rolled over their bow. Others, like Nelly, had a composure and inner peace that is hard to describe. She was neither looking forward in dread nor back in regret. Let me tell you about Nelly.

Nelly was an old woman with silver hair and bright blue eyes. She was a small, petite lady. Despite the fact she was dying of cancer, she got out of bed every morning, washed her face, combed her hair, put on a pretty dress and her earrings.

She dressed as though she was going out somewhere, to meet someone.

When we talked, we talked about God and His creation—a subject of special interest to her—and not much else. The only time we ever discussed the afterlife was when I had asked her if she was afraid to die. She simply answered, “No, not really.”

The last time I saw her she was sitting by her bedroom window wearing a softly-coloured dress covered in little flowers. We sat there together for a long time, watching the leaves fade into a blue-grey mist as the sun vanished beneath the hills.

There were no plans to be made, no fears to be expressed, no talk of death. There were just two people, filled with gratitude for the beauty of God’s handiwork – and some apple juice.

“You know, David,” she said, turning her gaze from me to look once more at the splendour outside, “I never knew apple juice could taste so sweet.”

She lifted the juice to her lips one last time. Shortly after, the chariots of God came and carried her little body to the Promised Land, there to await her glorious resurrection from the dead.

For those with faith, the apple juice tastes sweet, and all the sweeter as that bitter day approaches. Less terror, less fear, more composure, more faith, more rest, more patience, more thankfulness.

That is not to say that the believer doesn’t have their share of battles. We are not immune to the fears within and conflicts without (2 Corinthians 7:5). But the God of all comfort is there, ready to steady our souls and keep us from the waves that would otherwise swamp our little canoe.

Nelly sailed across the Jordan – grateful for apple juice. It’s the way I hope to cross the rippling sea when my day comes.

Her secret? Not really a secret at all. You see, Nelly had not waited until the day of disaster to try and find her composure. Her composure was the result of a life of faith and gratitude toward God in the little things. And so, When the big thing came, Nelly was able to hold onto the rails with a smile.

Related...

Poster Girl
Weakness is the Way
The Offence of the Righteous
Beauty that Saves the World

Filed Under: Who we Are Instead Tagged With: Apple Juice, Death, Gratitude


Writing Ideas on Sermo HumilisWhat do You Want to Read About?

 

Nothing like real-world issues to focus the mind. If you have something you would like me to write about, send me a message and let me know.

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarMurdo MacKay says

    October 24, 2019 at 8:46 pm

    David, Another piece of brilliance. Thanks. I am going to share it in our internal group.

    Reply
    • AvatarDavid Trounce says

      October 24, 2019 at 9:22 pm

      Och, Thanks Murdo! Glad you liked it. I enjoyed writing it.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Sermo Humilis

For the love of all things true, beautiful and good.


Welcome to Sermo Humilis, a digital home for biblical discipleship and cultural Christianity. A few new thoughts every week.

Please remember to like, subscribe and share. It really helps me out.

Subscribe for Weekly Updates

As per our Privacy Policy, we will never hand your information to a third party.

please check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Categories

  • Life in Christendom
  • Just a Thought
  • Who we Are Instead

Find us on Social

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Medium
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Support Sermo Humilis

If you enjoy Sermo Humilis and want to say thanks you can support me here.

Support

Series

Sidebar - Jesus Through all of Life Series Sidebar Series - The Life and Times of Jesus Sidebar Series - Proverbs - Let the Lady Speak Sidebar - Marriage Preparation Series

The Most Popular Guff

Sit Tight, Carry on…

It's natural I suppose to prefer the grace of the prodigal banquet

Jesus, God’s Delight

John, a cousin of Jesus, turned up on the scene baptising the people

Gravity and the Grand Design

Everybody has a god, it's inescapable. Whether it's yourself, an

Those Glorious Little Mercies

The things that happen to Hannah could happen and do happen, to

A Lamp Unto My Feet ~ Proverbs 3:1

The reason I don't get lost on my way home from town is that I know

Delighting in Eternity

One of the things that worry some Christians about eternity is the

Set the Trumpet to Thy Mouth

As Jesus begins His mission to fulfil the “Year of the Lord's Favour”,

See and Hear

On the move? Weekly content can also be seen and heard via Youtube.

Topics

Beauty Children Covenant Creation Death Discipleship Earth Eternity Evangelism Faith Fear Fellowship Food Forgiveness Freedom Gospel Grace Grief Guilt Heaven Holiness Jesus Joy Judgement Kingdom Law Life Love Marriage Mercy Money Prayer Redemption Rest Resurrection Sabbath Sacrifice Salvation Sin Slavery Truth Victory Weakness Wisdom Work

Footer

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe to Sermo Humilis

Find us on Social

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Support Sermo Humilis

If you enjoy Sermo Humilis and want to say thanks you can support me here.

Support

Copyright © 2021 · Sermo Humilis

John Piper - A Hallway of Mirrors