At God's core, God is good. This simple yet profound truth is something we need to be reminded of daily. Many of us have experienced church harm or disappointments that make us question this goodness, but the truth remains - you are a child of God, a person of worth, made in God's image, and God's love will always find you.
Why Do We Need Physical Reminders of God's Work?
We all have objects in our homes that mark significant moments - diplomas, wedding photos, special gifts. These items help us remember important events and achievements. But how many of us have physical reminders of God's faithfulness in our lives?
In Joshua 4, we find a powerful story about marking moments when God moves. The Israelites had just experienced something miraculous - God parted the Jordan River, allowing them to cross into the Promised Land on dry ground. This wasn't just leaving slavery (as with the Red Sea crossing 40 years earlier); this was entering into a new beginning.
What Was God's Command About the Stones?
God instructed Joshua to have one man from each of the twelve tribes collect stones from the middle of the dry riverbed. These stones were to be placed at their camp as a memorial of what God had done.
The scripture tells us: "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 crossed over... He did this so that all people on earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and that you might always fear the Lord your God."
These stones weren't polished or pretty. They were jagged, maybe slippery, with real edges - just like real life. Sometimes life isn't convenient, pretty, or polished, but God works through each situation.
Why Is Remembering So Important in Our Spiritual Life?
Pastor Rich Velodas says, "One of the primary tasks of the spiritual life is to learn how to remember." Not just recalling facts, but being shaped by what God has done.
Our memory is fragile. We're forgetful people. In seasons when we're scared or fatigued, we need to remember how God moved in our lives before. Today things might be crystal clear, but when problems arise tomorrow or next week, remembering God's faithfulness gives us hope.
How Do Our Stories of God's Faithfulness Impact Others?
Our faith becomes generational when we make it visible. When we tell our stories of God's faithfulness, we pass our faith to our children, grandchildren, and future generations.
The stones the Israelites gathered weren't just for them - they were for "all people on earth." Our testimonies of God's work aren't just for us either. They're meant to be shared so others can know God's power and goodness.
What Is God Doing Now Through Us?
Theologian N.T. Wright reminds us: "The point of the biblical story is not simply to say, 'Look what God did back then,' but to say, 'Look what God is doing now through us.'"
Some churches focus only on what God did in the past. Others look so far ahead to what God might do tomorrow that they miss the present. But life begins today. Heaven starts right now. We are called to push back darkness and expose heaven to more people in the present moment.
Jesus called us to take up our cross daily - to reflect Christ each and every day through our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness.
What's Your Jordan River Moment?
What's your Jordan River moment that you need to remember? Maybe it was:
- The day you got sober
- When you reconciled with someone
- A moment you experienced joy after loss
- When God opened a door after another closed
These are Jordan River moments - times when God made a way when there seemed to be no way. And the great news is that God will do it again.
Your Story Matters
Not just your story of victory, but your story of pain - the tough times when God showed up. The God who brought you through the river is the same God who goes ahead, making a way even now.
This story of Joshua and the Israelites wasn't about a race of people - it was about God's grace. It was "grace, not race." God was using the Israelites as an example to reflect His love for all people.
Life Application
This week, I challenge you to think theologically about your life. Consider these questions:
-
Where is God working in your life right now? Are there situations you haven't viewed through this lens?
-
What are your "stones" - the physical or mental reminders of God's faithfulness that you can hold onto when facing obstacles?
-
Who has God called you to walk beside "in the river," perhaps getting your feet wet before the waters part?
-
What obstacle in your life might God be preparing to turn into dry ground?
Remember God's goodness in your past. Share your story with someone who needs hope. And trust that the God who parted waters before will make a way again.
When life's rivers seem impassable, remember: God creates dry ground through the rushing waters. The stones mark the spot where God made a way - and He will do it again.