"Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying 'What are these stones?' "then you shall let your children know, saying, 'Israel crossed over the Jordan on dry land....that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever." Joshua 4:22-24
It's good to remember where we've come from, and how the Lord snatched us up from the hands of the enemy and tucked us safely under His wing. At times in our lives we may have a memory or visit a place that reminds us of something that occurred in our life. If it was something from the past, most of us would rather forget it entirely. But, there are somethings that the Lord desires for us to remember that He might be glorified in and through those memories. I remember a time when the Lord had me share my testimony to a large group of women. I had been saved for 20 years and never shared my testimony in public. I was terrified to go back and revisit the past, and yet the Lord was right there with me encouraging me all the way. I recall Him speaking to my heart reaffirming His great love for me and that He had cast my sins as far as the east form the west long ago. I also recall Him speaking so sweetly to me that I was no longer that person, and that He was going to use my testimony for His glory. Although the Lord forgets our sins and has cast them as far as the east from the west( Ps. 103:12)...we still remember. This can be a bad thing and it can also be a good thing. Bad if it's the enemy behind it...and good it it's the Lord reminding us as He did with Joshua...to "remember the stones."
When Joshua was commanded by the Lord to cross over the Jordan River in Joshua 4, he obeyed, leading 40,000 people over on dry land. Then, God told him to commanded each of the leaders from the 12 tribes of Israel to take a stone from the Jordan and carry it to the other side. There they stacked the 12 stones as a sign of the Lord's faithfulness in their lives. They were told to speak of this to their children and their children's children. They were to remind them of all the Lord did in the past, all He saved them from, and all He would continue to do in and through their lives. What stones have you set up in your life?Has God brought you through a difficult time, a time of financial hardship or a time of grieving? Remember the stones. Remember that He carried you and that He loves you. Remember that He isn't done with you and is using difficult times to reveal Himself to you in a greater way. Just think if Joshua hadn't listened...and the people hadn't obeyed...there wouldn't be the sign of God's faithfulness still stacked by the River Jordan today. We serve a BIG GOD, a faithful GOD, a loving GOD. He can still divide the sea...He can still dry the Jordan River...and He can still do a miracle in your life as well...but you have to first step in and trust and then obey!Step in and watch Him work today...and then set up the stones of remembrance...using them as a testimony of God's faithfulness in your life because the greatest stone every set up for us to remember was rolled away on Easter morning...let us remember that stone this time of Year as we remember Jesus!