Special Stones

My wife had a jar of shells we had collected from various places over the years as a beautiful remembrance of our trips and our times of refreshment. My mom displayed souvenir spoons on her wall from her vacation spots. As a kid I would buy postcards from our family adventures and make a display board documenting where we’d visited (Yes, total nerd!). This isn’t a new or novel idea; it finds its inception in the Old Testament. The Lord instructed Joshua to take twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan river and carry them to the bank where he was to set up a small monument. This was to remind the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel that God was their deliverer. It was no ordinary thing that God had done to deliver them. They didn’t cross a bridge or build a boat. Rather, God had supernaturally led them through on dry ground. Joshua 4:9 also narrates how Joshua had set up a similar monument in the middle of the Jordan where the priests had stood with the ark of the covenant. Two altars, one God, a people redeemed for His glory. That is something worth remembering. A picture of “where you’ve come from” and “where you’re going”. God is so kind to patiently lead us forward, “out of something” and “to something”. Our stories are one of slow and steady spiritual progress. We must not forget that! We must celebrate that! He is at work in your life. Do you see it? Look backwards and be reminded of where you’ve come. But always look forward and remember He hasn’t yet let you down or stopped leading you through the water. “Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen.” (Psalm 77:19)