“Monumental Reminders”
“In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.” Joshua 4:21-24
2022 has brought many ‘Red Sea’ moments for my family. I often say to my husband, “He’s parting the Sea, Matt, He’s parting the sea!” I’ve referenced it so much that Matt blubbered once, “ok, gah, can we pick a different Bible story now?”
As I read the book of Joshua, I was surprised I didn’t recall this particular water parting for the Israelites. Moses has died at this point; Joshua is in charge and the Israelites are preparing to approach Jericho’s wall. Yet, as they move forward in life, another obstacle is staring at them, the Jordan River.
Realistically, we don’t encounter mother nature as a daily obstacle, but we do experience moments of intense doubt as we encounter unexpected circumstances.
The Israelites have witnessed a lot of miraculous moments as they have watched God deliver for them. You can probably relate; God answers a prayer and eases your circumstances, or you experience an unexplained peace amid chaos. Blessings from our Heavenly Father can be monumental in our hearts and should mimic God’s message in Joshua…
God commanded Joshua to have twelve men take a stone from the dry ground in the middle of the Jordan river to be used as a monument, or reminder, for this groundbreaking moment. He goes on to explain…” In the future when your descendants ask their parents…. tell them…about the hand of the Lord.”
Now let all of this sink in a minute…. what monumental moment has occurred in your life?
What prayer was answered only by God’s mighty hand that reminded you of His faithfulness and love for you?
He is still parting waters today, but are we as believers telling others of how and by whom the water was parted?
The miraculous healing, the softened heart, the protection of family… the list goes on of the goodness of God, but are we ingraining our children and others with the source of the blessing?
As we move forward in life and encounter a variety of challenges, may we remember to tell others of God’s faithfulness and power. May we boast that nothing we have done, nor will do, could ever bring an answer to the prayer; only our Heavenly Father can do so.
