Stories of Stones: A Memorial to Remember

Lately, I have been thinking of the story in Joshua when God told him to “take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’” God did this so that the people would remember the deliverance of their God and the covenant that He made with them. It was to remind them that God is faithful, God alone deserves all glory and praise, God delivered them because of His great love, grace and mercy – “So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.“

I often think back how the Lord spared, quite literally both physically and more important spiritually, my life. I look back and think upon His awesome presence, power and omniscience when I most assuredly deserved to be sent strait to hell. My testimony, is really a “stone” in the “memorial” that I might remember what He has done, keep me from doubting Him and worrying when more difficult times and season come. Even more so, it is about His glory, His grace, His mercies, His divine love, His majesty; oh that I would look back upon His “memorial“, take joy in Christ, and share it with my children, my generation and those who are weak, struggling and doubting.

Think, what memorial of stones is God building in and through your life? Can you remember them? Have you seen God’s working hand of deliverance in your life? Read the passage below and think upon the stones of your life, then share them with others and praise the Lord of all glory for the memorial so that you would never, never, never forget who He is, what He has done and what grace and mercy has been bestowed upon you. And if God has indeed done such in our lives, does this not cause us to desire to live godly in Christ Jesus? Does it not cause us to desire to obey Him, for love and honor, and not mere tradition and/or legalism? “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may abound? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?“(Romans 6:1-2)

4 When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, ² “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, ³ and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’” ⁴ Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. ⁵ And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, ⁶ that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ ⁷ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” English Standard Version (ESV)

What “stones” have you to share that speak of just how great God really is?

Maybe instead of hurling stones at one another, we will humble ourselves, seek the presence of God and build up a memorial to the Lord forever.