“You Have Not Traveled This Way Before”

“Then you will know which way to go, since you have not traveled this way before.” —Joshua 3:4

The Problem with the New Year (Besides Everything)

Every January, we pretend we’re a brand-new person.

New year.
New planner.
New diet.
New gym membership that will emotionally abandon us by February 12.

We call them resolutions, but most of them are just aggressive wishful thinking with a countdown clock.

The Bible, however, does not start the new year with a list.
It starts it with a warning.

“You have not traveled this way before.” Joshua 3:4

Translation:
This isn’t business as usual.
This isn’t copy-paste from last year.
This isn’t familiar terrain.

And that’s unsettling—because most of us don’t actually want new.
We want predictable with better vibes.

Israel Is Stuck Between Promise and Panic

Joshua 3 finds Israel standing at the edge of the Jordan River.

Behind them:

• Wilderness

• Wandering

• Regret

• A whole generation that didn’t make it

In front of them:

• The Promised Land

• Battles

• Responsibility

• Change

And God says, essentially:
“You’re going forward—but don’t pretend you’ve done this before.”

No maps.
No rehearsal.
No Google reviews.

Just trust.

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The New Year Is Not a Reset—It’s a Crossing

You don’t step into a new season—you cross into one.

We love the idea of a fresh start.
God tends to work with transitional moments, not clean slates.

Israel doesn’t teleport into the Promised Land.
They cross a river.

And crossings are:

• Wet

• Slow

• Exposed

• Public

The new year isn’t about pretending last year didn’t happen.
It’s about carrying what God taught you through something unfamiliar.

New years don’t erase wounds.
They reveal wisdom—if we’re paying attention.

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God Goes Before You—But Not Always Around the Obstacle

Faith isn’t avoidance—it’s obedience with wet shoes.

Notice what God doesn’t do.

He doesn’t:

• Build a bridge

• Drain the river early

• Offer an alternate route

He says, “Follow the ark.”

God’s presence goes first—but the people still have to step.

That’s deeply offensive to our modern spirituality, which prefers:

• Comfort

• Control

• Clarity

We want God to explain the route.
God says, “Watch where I’m going and move.”

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Distance from the Ark Matters in New Seasons

Joshua tells the people to keep a distance from the ark—about 2,000 cubits.

Why?

So everyone can see where God is going.

In unfamiliar seasons, proximity matters.

Not emotional closeness.
Not nostalgia.
But clear spiritual alignment.

When you don’t know the terrain:

• You don’t follow the crowd

• You don’t trust vibes

• You don’t rush ahead

You fix your eyes on God’s presence.

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This Is a Year for Realizations, Not Resolutions

Resolutions change behavior. Realizations change direction.

Israel didn’t resolve to be better people.
They realized they needed God more than ever.

Resolutions say:
“I will try harder.”

Realizations say:
“I cannot navigate this without God.”

This year doesn’t require a better version of you.
It requires a truer awareness of who God is.

Some realizations God may be forming:

• You’re more tired than you admit

• Control has been your coping mechanism

• Comfort has replaced calling

• God is inviting you to trust Him differently

That’s not failure.
That’s formation.

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Heritage Is Traveling a Road It Hasn’t Been On Before

Let’s talk church for a moment.

Heritage is not doing a repeat year.
We are not pulling a “greatest hits” season.

We are:

• Rebuilding systems

• Clarifying identity

• Re-centering mission

• Letting go of what worked then

This isn’t rebellion.
It’s obedience.

And just like Israel, the danger isn’t that the road is new.
It’s that we’ll try to walk it with old instincts.

Some Israelites wanted Egypt again.
Some wanted comfort over calling.
Some wanted familiarity over faith.

New direction always exposes divided hearts.

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Faithful Navigation Requires Collective Obedience

You don’t cross alone—and you don’t get to freelance faith.

Israel crossed together.

Not everyone liked it.
Not everyone understood it.
But obedience wasn’t optional.

The same is true for the church.

Faithful navigation means:

• Staying aligned

• Moving together

• Trusting leadership without idolizing it

• Submitting preferences for the sake of purpose

Unity doesn’t mean uniformity.
It means shared direction.

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God’s Promise Is Ahead—But the Step Is Now

The water didn’t part when Israel believed.
It parted when they stepped.

The new year won’t make sense in theory.
It will make sense in obedience.

God doesn’t give clarity as a prerequisite.
He gives clarity as a result.

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A we step into this new year—as individuals and as Heritage Church—we do so with humility, expectancy, and trust.

We are not lost.
We are led.

We are not reckless.
We are responsive.

We are not nostalgic for Egypt.
We are moving toward promise.

So if this year feels unfamiliar—
good.

It means God is doing something you can’t manage on your own.

“You have not traveled this way before.”

And that’s not a threat.
That’s an invitation.

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Closing Prayer

God,
We don’t ask for easier roads—
we ask for faithful steps.

Go before us.
Align our hearts.
Teach us to follow, even when the ground feels unsure.

We trust You with this crossing.
Individually.
Collectively.
Fully.

Truly the Best Is Yet to Come,

Rev. John Roberts