Rock Photo Top
Take the challenge!
We all need reminders sometimes. When Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan into the promised land he called one man from each tribe to go back into the river and get a big rock from the middle of the river where the ark stood and carry it to the shore to make a memorial.
Why from the place the ark stood? The ark was the seat of God on earth. It was like saying, grab a rock from the place God stood. Make a memorial. What is a memorial? Definition: “something designed to preserve the memory of a person, event, etc., as a monument or a holiday.” (dictionary.com) They were entering the promised land–the land flowing with milk and honey. Their long, hard journey was over and good things were coming. Why would they need a memorial at this point? the verse tells us it is for their children, but how long is it before these people face another challenge… a metaphorical river blocking their way, and they forget what God has done? Hint: It’s not long. They were going to need this memorial just as much as their children.
While not many of us have seen literal river part before us…
4So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe; 5and Joshua said to them, “[a]Cross again to the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel. 6[b]This shall be a sign among you; when your children ask [c]later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7then you shall say to them, ‘That the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones shall become a memorial to the sonsof Israel forever.”
Joshua 4:4-7 (NASB)
For PDF or journal —– prompts – How have you seen God work in your marriage, the lives of your kids, finding your identity, financial needs, emotional needs, times of crisis, everyday little things, school, college, work situations- difficult people, promotions, better fit.
Journal – rock outline in upper corner. put key word to help find stories
way to order GSp journals – Amazon? Printify?
Photo by Anna Bezzubova on Unsplash