“Then Joshua set up a second monument of twelve stones in the midst 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.” Joshua 4:9
We tend to remember our pains more than our joys. The low points of our defeats tend to bring a bitter sting that lingers much longer than the sweetness of our victories. As I personally reflect during this writing, I could jot down a page of those bitter stings upon my memory, but sadly I would struggle to list as many of the sweet victories. I can’t answer why this is the case, yet it rings ever so true within the human condition. But you see, the simple fact of human memory to selectively suppress the victory doesn’t change, alter, or negate those good and grand triumphal moments. They still exist, just shrouded in the fogginess of time. They simply must be once again seen, acknowledged, and remembered to release the power of the goodness they possess. But just how do you release that power through remembrance and then once again revel and bask in their goodness?
I’m glad you asked because this very theme brings to light a major underlying theme in God’s Word…remembering. And not a simple recall of what we have or have not done in our life events, but what God has done in orchestrating and allowing them. You see, to truly get to the point of Godly remembrance you must be willing to fully admit who holds the keys to all time and every circumstance. There is no chance in life, only God. There is no coincidence, only God. There is no happenstance, luck, accident, fate, destiny, fortuity, serendipity, karma, or providence…only God. And as you walk to the point of this precipice of believing that God controls all, you must whole-heartedly toss over the edge all of your preconceived notions that you somehow control your own path in this life. And as you do choose to tread to the precipice, you will be in a good spot to readily look back and truly remember who held the reins of all of your life events.
So as you move into the realm of Godly remembering, you need help. And this is just the story that we see in chapter 4 of the Old Testament book of Joshua. As this faithful new generation of Israelites are at the cusp of entering the promising land, there is one glooming obstacle barring their path, a swollen rushing Jordan river. You see, as the spring rains combined with the melting snow from Mount Lebanon where the Jordan originates, the springtime Jordan would overflow its banks and becomes a mass of rushing water that is extreme in its danger when attempting to cross. So here, for the second time in the history of the Israel nation, they find themselves needing to pass across a large body of water with no idea how. This time God dams the waters of the Jordan 18 miles upriver and creates a dry crossing for His people to enter His land of rest. And as this great event draws to a close, God commands Joshua to erect not just one, but two memorials to spur His people to remember this grand event.
The first memorial was 12 stones erected on the bank where they exited the Jordan, a location later named Gilgal. This stone memorial could easily be seen by all and was meant to be a ready reminder of the miracle God performed in halting the waters of the Jordan. But the second, the second memorial is very interesting. Joshua himself erected a second set of stones in the middle of the dry riverbed to only see it completely covered with water as God soon released the river back to its normal level. So, what would be the point of a submerged memorial that no one could see? Well, occasionally during droughts, the Jordan could get to extremely low levels which would allow these rocks to poke their heads up above the water and announce the goodness that God had done.
What a powerful picture to imagine. Five years later, an Isrealite life that is being tossed about by the trials and tribulations of this world is busy gathering firewood near that same spot on the banks of the Jordan. But this time it is not the abundant, overflowing life-giving Jordan river, but a dry, parched emptying brook. But in the middle of the brown stagnant water something catches their eye…peaks of rocks glistening in the sun. And as their brain digs deep to processes the moment, they remember. The goodness and provision of God strikes them where before there was none. Folks, we need just the same moments today. We need surprise memorials erected in our life that will spur us out of our times of low water and remind us of the times that God parted mighty waters in our lives. We need vivid reminders of the times in which He moved mountains, parted seas, and readily fed us when it seemed the loaves and fishes would not be enough. We simply need to remember more of what God has done in our lives in order to faithfully see what He will continue doing in our lives.
No matter what path God may have you walking today, even if it is along a drought-stricken riverbank that seems it cannot offer you sustenance, look to the low waters and remember. See the stones that reveal themselves in the midst of those low waters and choose to remember. Remember the good that God has done in your life. This isn’t to just live in some dreamland state of the past, but to recall the perfect promises of God. The promises He made, has delivered, and will continue to deliver. You see, God is always good, sometimes we just need a point of faith to spur us into the hope that God will continue to do what He has always done. And that is to recklessly love His world, save sinners, and care for those that call Him Father.
Remember the good and praise God for it…He will do it again ~ Dan
“Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen, and so that they do not slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and grandchildren.” Deuteronomy 4:9 BSB
Commentaires