Impact - Day 22

Day 22 – Monuments

Joshua 3:17-4:7… the priests who were carrying the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by. They waited there until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan on dry ground.

When all the people had crossed the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, “Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe. Tell them, ‘Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. Carry them out and pile them up at the place where you will camp tonight.’”

So Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen—one from each of the tribes of Israel. 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.”

Everything has built up to this, the moment the Israelites would stand on the opposite shores of the Jordan. It is what these wanderers dreamt about during long nights circling the wilderness. God promised this day. But forty years ago, their courage flagged, and they delayed. Now, they step out of the riverbed of their past failings and into the promises of a land flowing with milk and honey.

The river Jordan is more than a minor obstacle. It represents their lack of faith in years gone by, every rebellious word or hesitation. Its rushing waters, swollen and swift, formed an impenetrable barrier to the future they had hoped for. But now, miraculously, it has parted, the ground has dried solid, and these millions pass through, marveling at the walls of water. Almost none of these travelers were alive to experience the parting of the Red Sea. But they have heard the stories. And they know, for sure, that Yahweh is with them, guiding them and protecting them.

At this moment, God instructs that men be chosen from each tribe and sent into the middle of the river to bring out large stones for an altar of remembrance. These will not be the last difficult days the Israelites will experience. Like clockwork, we forget the miracles of the past. Every time we do, our courage sags, and we doubt God’s presence and guidance in our current circumstances. 

God’s most frequent command in scripture is “Remember.” When we recall how God has led us in the past, we recalibrate that ours is not an isolated account. We are a part of the grand salvation story of a God willing to go to any length to save us, even a cross. When we recount His presence, follow-through, and loving-kindness, we claim the story of His complete and final rescue. His most significant work is yet unfinished. When we remember, we open our hearts and minds to stepping into the next square foot God is giving us. 

Not only does our celebration of God’s miraculous presence give us strength to meet our next challenge, but it also has the power to change the lives of our children, neighbors, and communities. So scramble back into the middle of the parted rivers of God’s work in your life. Record His acts in your journal, sing them in your favorite praise songs, and tell the stories of what He has done. It may save your children’s lives. It could unite your community. Your altar to God’s power may ignite someone else’s spiritual breakthrough.

1. What is your first memory? Who else was there? What can you remember happened?
2. What is a time someone helped you through something very significant? Have you thanked them?
3. What was a time you felt particularly close to God? Why do you think that was?