When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ 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. (Joshua 4:6-7)
What’s your greatest accomplishment in golf? Maybe you won the Club Championship or recently made your first birdie. It could be you cleared the pond of hole #4 with your driver from the back tee for the first time, or maybe, just maybe, your greatest accomplishment was your first hole-in-one!
Most likely, you kept the hole-in-one ball and have it displayed with a plaque in your home. The club championship trophy sits on the mantle, or the scorecard with your first birdie is saved and sitting on your desk. We often keep a memento of our greatest accomplishments on the course. Why?
First, it is a reminder that we did something very special, and secondly, and maybe not intentionally, we look to it when we are in a little slump. The trophy, ball, or scorecard reminds you that you’re better than you are now.
In Joshua 3, the Lord instructed Joshua to lead the priests to carry the Ark of the Covenant through the Jordan River. The Lord said He would split the waters, and the people of Israel would follow the Ark through the dry riverbed safely to the other.
In chapter 4, the Lord commanded that 12 stones from the river be gathered together, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. These stones are referred to as memorial stones that remind Israel of God’s faithfulness.
There are markers in our lives when God showed Himself to be faithful to us, even when we were unfaithful to Him (see Romans 5:8).
Maybe you’re in a dry season spiritually. Perhaps you’re in a season of disobedience and rebellion. Think back to when the Lord God rescued you from your sin and the penalty of sin. Even though you were unworthy of saving, Christ died for you (Romans 5:6).
Remember the time when God was orchestrating events that led someone to speak the gospel into your life (Romans 10:17). Your eyes were opened (Ephesians 1:18). By faith and repentance (Mark 1:15), you confessed your sin, Jesus forgave and cleansed you of your unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Remember that?
Your conversion (when you responded to the gospel with repentance and trust in Christ) is an essential “marker” that needs to be remembered. The moment you come to biblical faith in Christ will serve as a reminder when your faith is weary or you get sideways in your thoughts and actions.
What if you have never confessed and repented of your sin? You’ve never looked to God for rescuing from the wrath that awaits those who refuse to believe. If this is you, follow the bible’s solution:
Believe you are a sinner (Romans 3:23) and that God has provided the way to be saved through belief in His Son (Acts 16:31). By faith, confess your sin to Him and turn from your sinful living (repentance), and He will forgive and save you (Romans 10:9-10).
As stones mark the faithfulness of God, so too, the cross of Jesus and the empty tomb serve as reminders that you are a new creation in Christ. Live accordingly.
Prayer: Father, I remember today your grace towards me in Christ through your salvation provided for on His cross. Amen