I wanted to share with you something that I found in my Bible time this morning. I am currently studying through the book of Joshua during my personal study time. This morning I am reading chapters 3 & 4 detailing the Israelite's crossing the Jordan into the promised land. In the midst of this amazing step forward into the fulfillment of promises of God there is a section in which God commands His people to take up stones out of the river bed as a memorial lest they forget what happened that day.
I have heard many messages detailing the miracle of the waters being dried up, God's favor on His people, the ability of Joshua to hear Gods voice, obeying God, the strength of Joshua to do the unusual in obedience, or even the importance of the 12 stones that created the memorial after and how we need to remember what God has done in our own lives. Those are wonderful lessons and have helped me during hard times. Yet this morning those aren't the things that stood out to me.
My attention was drawn to 2 small easily over looked ideas I found here. The first being the priest. In the midst of the people literally running as fast as they could across the river the priest remained completely still. All around them the people were moving as fast as they could to get across the river because they doubted that God would keep the river stopped long enough for them to get across. How often are we like that? Doubting the breadth of God's power and favor in our lives. Wondering if the miraculous is really there for us the way we see it being in other peoples lives. We run across the miracle in our life as though it might come crashing down upon us and destroy us instead. However, in the midst of this the priest, carrying the presence of God remained rooted firmly still. Did you hear that? The presence of God does not waver or sway under the chaos and crazy of life or our doubt. God is not moved by our thoughts or behavior. God is calm in the midst of the storm. Unwavering in His promises.
You see God promised His people, through Joshua, that they would cross the river and that is just what they did. He didn't see their fear and say, "whelp they didn't trust me so never mind." No, God was consistent and steady in what He promised and the fulfillment of that promise. Just as He is consistent and steady in what He promises to us. When we trust in that and press into God we are able to remain calm, steady and firmly still in Him no matter what our surroundings or circumstances.
The second point that caught my attention was verse 9 of chapter 4. "Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan at the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing and they are there to this day." I always skipped over this verse focusing instead upon the rocks that were hefted up out of the water, carried to dry land and set up as a memorial reminding the people what happened that day. I never noticed that 12 additional stones were set up in the midst of the river where they would be hidden by the water.
This started me wondering why? Why set up a memorial in the river that people might never see? I know that God doesn't do things by accident and if it's included in the Bible, no matter how odd, it's important. I began to realize that these stones might not have been always hidden after all. The people there that day would have seen the stones set up in the river mirroring what was to be set up on land later. They would have remembered that they were there every time they looked at the stones in Gilgal. This would have made the memorial at Gilgal all the more important and rooted in their minds.
I believe that there was also another purpose to the memorial stones in the middle of the river though. The stones there wouldn't have always been unseen like one might first assume. The river at the time the Israelite's crossed was at it's fullest point. This was flood season and the river was brimming over it's banks with rushing water emphasizing the mighty power of God that He was able to stop such a torrent. However, the water level would not have remained so high. Once the flood season was over the water level would have lowered, perhaps even enough that the tops of the upper stones would have been visible from the shore.
Yet even more poignant I realized was that as drought hit that land more of the rocks would have been visible. As troubling drought hit the people causing them to question God's direction, faithfulness or even His power they would have seen a visibly enlarging reminder in that river of His faithfulness. Right there in the midst of the very thing that was the source of their trouble would have been a large reminder that God was with them and was faithful to do what He promised them.
The very same is true in our lives. In the time of drought God is right there with us, faithful, loving and true. In the midst of our troubles He is still, unmoved by stress, doubt or questioning. In times of abundance or lack He is still there, standing steady in the middle of the torrent of life. In times of trouble He still remains, ready to help us, provide for us, and love us all the same. When we face troubles of drought all we have to do is look at the memorial stones in our own lives to see that God is there, God has done great things for us, His favor is upon us and will not leave us.
I hope that this encourages you the same way it did me. I want to end this with my favorite verse:
"Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, 'The Lord has done great things for them.' The Lord HAS done great things for us, and we are glad." (Psalm 126:2-3 NKJV)
Have a blessed day!
Heather
