What Do These Stones Mean to You?

​“…so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” Joshua 4:24

​After the Jordan waters parted and all of the children of Israel crossed over, the Lord commanded Joshua to take 12 men, one for each tribe of Israel, and collect 12 stones out of the midst of the Jordan where the priests’ feet stood firm. The stones were to be carried and placed where the 12 tribes lodged, and to be a reminder of how the waters were parted before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, so that all of Israel could cross the Jordan on dry land. The stones also demonstrated to the Israelites that the Lord was with Joshua as they followed Joshua’s commands, which the Lord gave. Most importantly, the stones were meant to signify to all the people of the earth that the hand of the Lord is mighty and that He is to be feared forever.

There are great things that the Lord has done in your life. When things seemed impossible or caused you great pain or fear, the Lord comforted, healed, and gave you peace. Think of at least one seemingly insurmountable obstacle, circumstance, situation, event, relationship, person, or persons that, when it or they come to mind, you remember the Lord’s deliverance. If not for the Lord, you would not have known what you would have done. 
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We need to symbolically create stones of remembrance so that we can keep remembering what the Lord has done and continuously praise Him for His love, providence, and faithfulness. A stone of remembrance could be a journal, a photo album, a collage, or something that tangibly illustrates our intentional recollection of the Lord’s greatness. Our stones of remembrance can serve as our testimony to others so that they know the hand of the Lord, and as our constant reminder of the Lord’s might so that we and others may reverentially fear the Lord our God forever.