A Missional Imperative

There is a consistent pattern throughout Scripture regarding God fulfilling His mission. He always goes before His people in order to secure His victory. In Joshua 3, God tells Joshua that the ark of the covenant must go into the Jordan river first before the people can cross the swollen river. (At the time the ark was the dwelling place of God on earth.) Joshua tells the Israelites that this act will let them know that the Lord is with them and that He will deliver on His promise. As the priests who are carrying the ark enter into the water the overflowing waters recede, the river bed dries, and about 600,000 Israelites walk through the Jordan River...dry.

The point we should consider in the context of our cities is that in order for us to see God at work, the Lord must go before us. We can not go before Him. We must seek His will, purpose, and timing, not ours. We must wait on Him and not rush off before Him. We must remember that His timing is perfect, ours is not. This is the only way that we will see God fulfilling His mission. Let's all seek the Lord first as we seek to transform our cities for Christ.