12 Stones

1. When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 3 and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.”

4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” (Joshua 4 1-7 NIV).

When I think back to the story of Joshua having the Israelites drop in place 12 stones after they crossed the Jordan I couldn’t help think of the practical, modern, lesson we can learn from the story.

Like the Jewish people of that day we too have things that the Lord has helped us through.

Sometimes it is a healing like Baby Jesslyn Grace, a season where God comforted you during a difficult period, an obstacle that was overcome or a time you experienced God for the first time.

Whatever it was that God did special for you, take some time to write it down in a distinctive place where you will run into it in the future.

By doing so, when you are tempted to turn away from God, goback to that relationship you know that you have no business going back to, or picking up that habitagain that enslaves you, you instead will remember the days when you were set free, healed, delivered or comforted.

I am not suggesting that you meditate on those old things. After all scripture calls us to move forward.

However if we start sliding, those stones will be there to remind us.

If you are a pastor in the Linden area please feel free to send in your sermons for the Faith page. We look forward to reading your messages.