What Are These Stones?

Joshua 4:21-23 (NKJV)
21  Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?'
22  then you shall let your children know, saying, 'Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land';
23  for the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over,

God moved in marvelous fashion as Israel transitioned into the Promise Land crossing the Jordan river at flood stage. The priests stepped into the flooded water  with the ark of the covenant and the waters stopped much like at the Red Sea. Israel crossed over and once the priests stepped out the waters overflowed the banks again.

God commanded that a memorial should be set up. Stones to remind people of what God did that day. A visual reminder to be passed down to the children. Stories of faith were passed down orally. They still need to be today.

Do you have anything that memorializes what God has done for you and your family? Something that your children and grandchildren could ask, "What are these stones?" A visual reminder of a time God came through. These are important to inspire future generations and to remind us of how powerful God is.

We have two such things. A picture and a truck. I've told this story many times about the picture. I will only share it briefly here. Brenda and  were praying about buying our first house. When we settled on one we trusted God for downpayment money. A college girl, who attended a Bible study I taught, went to the house we wanted and drew a charcoal picture of the house. She outlined the whole picture with the 37th chapter of Psalms highlighting verse four under the house. We hung that picture on the mantle above the fireplace in that home. It is a reminder of how powerful God is no matter the odds.

I have likewise told the story about my miracle truck. How God used two people to provide for me to get that miracle truck. It has 232, 000 miles on it now. Tucker drives it at college until he gets his own vehicle. Each time he gets behind the wheel I hope is reminded that what God did for me He can and will do for Him too.  That truck is another reminder of how powerful God has been for my family.

What is it for you? Some visual reminder you can point your children and grandchildren to to remind them how strong and mighty God is. Each generation has to discover this for themselves but it is good for them to be inspired by what God has done in the past.

George Mueller had orphans and orphanages to point people to. John Wesley left the Methodist church and revival all over England. Francis Asbury left multiple churches in America. Evan Roberts could point people to the Wales Revival in 1905 that swept a nation. Jim Cymbala  can point people to the Brooklyn Tabernacle Church. Maybe you can point to a miracle child, a verse hanging on a wall that means much to you or a priceless heirloom handed down to you as a symbol of your parents' or grandparents' faith. We need memorials so we do not forget the power of God in the past and for the future.

We all need reminders. The Jordan like obstacles are all around us. It is good to be reminded of what God did in the past as you face the battles in anticipations of what God will do today. What are those stones? They are faith vitamins to keep us believing even when the Jordan has overflowed its banks.