Memorial

These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.

Joshua 4:7 NIV

The book of Joshua opens with a death announcement. The great leader, Moses, was no longer in charge of Israelite travels. That young nation now had a choice to make. Would they follow Moses’ aide into unfamiliar territory?

God had a job for Joshua to do, but He wanted the community to take note of how it would happen. So He told them to build a memorial.

What is a memorial?

Webster’s Dictionary says it is “something that keeps remembrance alive.” (1)

In the United States, we celebrate the last Monday of May “in remembrance of war dead.”

A memorial can be verbal, written, pictorial, or sung. It can be stories passed on from one generation to the next. But, in this case, the memorial was made up of stones. These were no ordinary stones, nor were they pebbles, but the rocks were to be shouldered from the riverbed of the Jordan.

When God says it’s time to move, get ready for a miracle!

This new generation, who did not remember the miracle at the Red Sea, witnessed God’s power at work on their behalf, when the Jordan River stopped flowing so they could cross over.

Have you witnessed God’s power at work on your behalf? Whom have you told? Take time today to write down your story. Let it be a written memorial and testimony of your personal experience.

Exercise:

Choose one of the following prompts to do as a memorial:

• Write to a former teacher and tell how they made an impact on your life.
• Write to your pastor and tell him/her what changed as a result of the way they live and speak.
• Write to a cousin and take a trip down memory lane.
• Write to your children and tell them about the expectation you experienced during your pregnancy.
• Write to your grandchildren and tell them what you love about them.
• Write to your spouse and highlight the years you share together.
• Write to the Lord and thank Him for what He has done. Tuck it in your Bible for safe keeping.

When your children ask, “What do these stones mean?”

Tell them, “God dried up the Jordan River, just like He dried up the Red Sea, so that all may know He is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.”

Joshua 4:21-24 paraphrased

Over 140 of Sally Ferguson’s devotionals have been published in Pathways to God (Warner Press). She’s also written for Light From The Word, Chautauqua Mirror, Just Between Us, Adult Span Curriculum, Thriving Family, Upgrade with Dawn and ezinearticles.com. Prose Contest Winner at 2017 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference.

Sally loves organizing retreats and seeing relationships blossom in time away from the daily routine. Her ebook, How to Plan a Women’s Retreat is available on Amazon.

Sally Ferguson lives in the beautiful countryside of Jamestown, NY with her husband and her dad.

Visit Sally’s blog at www.sallyferguson.net