Memory Stones

I was reading Joshua and came across a scripture that encouraged me to write more and do things to remind myself of the wonderful things that God has done in my life. In Joshua chapter 4 God parts the Jordan river to show the people of Israel that he is with Joshua just like he was with Moses, and he tells Joshua to get 12 stones out of the dry Jordan for a memorial.  God made sure that the people would have a talking point whenever future generations saw these 12 stones. For me, my writings are my stones. I often write my prayers, and when I forget to be grateful, I go back into my journal or pull up  this blog and I am reminded of the goodness of God. So many of my answered prayers were the result of my heart poured out to God in my prayer journal.

It's strange that we are so quick to forget what God has done for us. We are no different than the children of Israel complaining about bread from heaven, and longing for the days of slavery.  We can take God for granted.  When miracles happen so often that sometimes we don't even see them as miracles anymore.  This is why testimony is so important.  It is important to remember how God has kept us and where he has brought us from.  My stones of memorial are my writings.  I see answered prayers and prophetic moments. I am encouraged in the Lord by this, and my children will one day be able to read them and marvel at God's faithfulness to me on my journey. What stones are you leaving in your life?

Joshua 4:1-7

4 And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying,

2 Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,

3 And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.

4 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:

5 And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:

6 That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?

7 Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.