He told them, “Go into the middle of the Jordan,
in front of the Ark of the Lord your God.
Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder —
twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.
We will use these stones to build a memorial.
In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’
Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing
when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’
These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.”
{Joshua 4:5-7, NLT}
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The Things That Remind Us . . .
A souvenir reminds us of a trip we went on.
A photo album reminds us of a holiday we celebrated.
A yearbook reminds us of the classmates we went to school with.
These keepsakes serve as reminders. Because it’s important to remember special moments.
In the Old Testament, we read about the Israelites’ journey. From slavery to the Promised Land. God parted the waters of the Red Sea as they walked out of Egypt. And He parted the waters of the Jordan River as they walked into Canaan.
And here, the moment they step foot onto the Promised Soil, God tells them to take up twelve stones from the dry riverbed and build a memorial — a memorial to serve as a reminder of their deliverance out of bondage and into freedom.
God is still in the business of delivering His people out of messes and into beauty. And when we call to mind what He’s done for us, we can’t help but thank Him and praise Him.
Some people write special dates in the margins of their Bible. These dates serve as reminders of when God brought them out of one thing and into something far better.
Mementos and keepsakes can come in many forms. They can be simple things that remind us of God’s goodness to us.
Today, let’s remember what God has brought us out of and into. And let’s give Him thanks.
Do you have a special “memorial” or keepsake that reminds you
of a moment in time when God showed His great love and mercy toward you?
Denise,
God has showed up so many times for me in the midst of trials. I keep “memorials” in every room of my house: a smooth stone engraved with the word “Hope”, a plaque that says “Grace” with 2Corin. 12:9 on it, a scriptural painting my daughter made for me…I want everywhere I turn for there to be reminders of God’s lovingkindness toward me. Hard copies of my blog posts in a binder stand as a memorial to one of the lowest periods God was faithful to bring me through and my blog is the beauty from those ashes. Thank you for the encouragement to keep raising memorials to His faithfulness. Happy Sabbath!
Blessings,
Bev
The red bird is a memorial for me and my family. God used some red birds to bring us peace when my Dad passed away. And the funny thing is I saw a red bird in my yard right before I read this email. I love it when God puts things together like that.
Cindy,
I don’t often visit this blog but I saw your red bird comment and had to respond. Friend and sister, I’m convinced the red bird is one of God’s sweetest memorials! He has often sent it to our family at the perfect times when we needed peace and reassurance that He sees and is in control. I write this just to boost your faith that I truly do believe God’s little wink of reassurance is behind the red bird. Know that a fellow sister has experienced the same miracle and I rejoice with you that God has shown us both such a special sign of His love and care. God bless!
Denise,
Memorials are super important. They remind us of what God has done for us in the past and reassure us that He will do it again! In this busy world it is so easy to forget We need constant reminders of His goodness to us!
Denise,
This is special….thanks for posting it.
Memories are one of the things I hold on to dearly, thanks be to God for blessing me with them.
Many people I know use the same”reminders” as I do. I have 8 tattoos. Each is a permanent reminder of something important I must learned after going through a valley of some sort. I don’t believe that art must be confined to a frame. My latest is on my forearm and it is Psalm 27:13 in its original Hebrew. “I am confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”
God is still in the business of delivering His people out ofmesses and into beauty. praise God.
Thank you for your inspiring words. I keep a journal specifically entitled “Ebenezer Stones” documenting each time over the years we’ve found ourselves in a dire situation with no remedy in sight. Every single time, mostly in the 11th hour, our God of solutions has come through clearly and gloriously! He is ALWAYS faithful. Reading through that journal never fails to give me hope. Any borders around my trust in Him fall away and my belief stands strong. God bless your ministry 🙂
I keep a record in my journal of any significant event. It helps me to review God’s blessings and events that have cemented my faith in God’s goodness and mercy. He never fails and always sends His best that will draw me closer to Him.
I read a book called “Real Faith” and the author encouraged me to keep a journal of my Impossible Prayers and then look back and see how God answers what I think is impossible. It’s a great reminder of how He truly does more than we ask or imagine. My husband was addicted to tobacco for over 35 years and tried to stop many times. He has now gone 7 months without a dip!