Joshua 4:20-24 - And
Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of
the Jordan. He said to the Israelites,
"In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, '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 just
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 charged them that day…to never forget the great things
God had done for them. He took the twelve stones God had directed him to
retrieve from under the priest’s feet…and he built the monument God directed
him to build…that would always stand as a reminder of this special day. They were instructed to tell anyone who asked
that these stones represented the dry ground they walked on to cross the
overflowing Jordan in the Spring. These stones represented the second time God
had parted waters so the Israelites could receive the blessings God had planned
for them in Canaan.
Our memories of what God has done for us should serve as a
monument in our hearts. They should be reminders…imprinted on our soul…that
cause pure joy and love to bubble out of everything we do from the remembrance
of it. That monument is not meant to stay tucked away in your heart…God told
them to build it where their children would see it…so they would ask about it. That monument was to serve as a catalyst for
sharing the great story of how the God of heaven and earth had rescued them and
given them this great land.
Your monument …your story…should be shared with others. It is the proof that God is good…and can
still do mighty things here on this earth. God has this way of leading people
to be where he has arranged for you to share...that might just share a bit of
your pain…who might have similar hurts or struggles. God can use your testimony
to show them a spark of hope….that God can do what they need to be healed and
whole again.
And when you share your story…it strengthens your own faith…and
reminds you once again just how much God has done for you. You are empowered by
the storm he may have brought you
through…and you are able to put it in the past….and lay down that hurt as a
mere stone in a monument…a scar of the past…not a wound that still needs to be
healed.
Father…help me this morning to build you a new monument in
my heart. Help me place each uncut stone
from the storms you brought me through in a pile that stays in my heart…and
reminds me of all the wonderful things you have done for me. Let the joy and healing be so evident in my
walk each day that people ask about its source…so I can share with them what a
great healer…and teacher…and comforter you are.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment