An Inward Memorial

Day one hundred sixty-six

Today I am praying that I will get everything done that I need to! This plea is not motivated by worry, but by excitement.  I can't wait to see the finished project!   I am grateful for the work the Lord has given me to do, it keeps my mind and my body busy.  These are not only blessings for me but for those around me, because I don't really do boring well. (I naturally have a lot of energy!)  Just another way that I know that the Lord knows me so well!

Joshua 4:1-24 

When all the people had passed over the Jordan, Joshua commanded one man from each of the 12 tribes to get a rock from the midst of the Jordan and build a memorial on the Canaan side. The purpose of this memorial was to remind successive generations of the power and faithfulness of God on behalf of His people (Josh 4:6-7, 21-24). That memorial would be an important landmark to those who would come after.

By the same token, we need some memorials in our own lives. Many of us are eager to take pictures to help us remember special events or we write in our journals about them.  However, we are not always so eager to record or remember the spiritual experiences we have.  Why is that?  The reality of the situation is that we need to have things that help us remember what the Lord has done for us!

When we make it a priority to remember what God has done for us, we are giving ourselves the opportunity to recall that memory at another time.  A time when we might need to share it with another or for a time when we need to remember that the Lord was faithful in that day and that He will be faithful in this day as well. There is good advice in the saying, "Never forget what the Lord has done for you in your yesterdays. It is those yesterday experiences that will tide you over when the trials of today and tomorrow arise in your life!"

Two Memorials (v 9, 20) - It is interesting to notice that Joshua constructed 2 memorials. One on the bank and one in the river. These 2 memorials served 2 different purposes. Notice what they were.

The Faithfulness Of God (v 20) - The one on the bank of the Jordan stood as a testimony to the faithfulness of God. It was there to remind others of what the Lord had done and of what He could do. Again, we need to remember the faithfulness of God in the past. It will help us through the trials we face today.

The Faith Of The People (v 9) - Now, what about the rock pile in the river? No one could see it but God. What purpose could a pile of rocks in the river serve? One thought is that it stood as a memorial to the faith of the people.  It was a memorial of what was in their hearts.  Even though Israel couldn't see it, they knew the memorial was there. They remembered that they had believed God then and it had worked. This was a memorial in their hearts.

We need that same kind of memorial as well. Too often we are misjudged by others in our times of trial, but God knows what is in our heart. When we have trusted Him and He has brought us through our trial, it is important that we never forget it!

I think the act of building a "memorial" in your heart is brilliant.  The outward memorial is great for sharing experiences with others, but the inward memorial, where only God can see it, means so much more to our spiritual well being.  Creating the inward memorial means we are more likely to never forget it and when the tough times come again, and they will, we can look inward and remember His faithfulness and our faithfulness and know that what worked before will work again. God will bring us through it!