65. AND THESE STONES SHALL BE FOR A MEMORIAL OF WHAT HE BROUGHT ME THROUGH

(The Faith Forum Series -Batch 3)

I turned my Bible to Joshua 3 and 4 this morning and read of how God took the Israelites over the waters of Jordan miraculously, on their way to Jericho, which was the land he had promised them, flowing with milk and honey.

Similarly to the Red Sea which God parted in two for the Israelites to walk through dry ground, in Joshua 3:5-17, it informs us that God caused the water which was flowing down into the river Jordan and which prevented the Israelites from crossing over to Jericho, to be heaped up and separated from the water in the river. This happened as soon as the Priests who were carrying the ark of the covenant, had placed their feet in the water of Jordan, as God had commanded them to do. Where the feet of those Priests stood, there was dry ground and the Israelites were now able to cross over to the other side safely.

After God worked this great miracle before their very eyes, God gave further instructions to Joshua, directing that he instruct twelve men, one each from the twelve tribes of Israel, to take up a stone in the very place where the feet of the Priests were standing on dry ground in the midst of Jordan and to take those twelve stones over with them to the other side.

The Lord desired that those stones serve as a memorial, so that in the future, when questioned by their children as to the reason for those stones and where they had come from, the Israelites could tell them of the day that God performed a miracle, where he brought them from and how he took them over the river of Jordan.

The Lord wanted the Israelites not to ever forget the wonder he had performed and the stones were to therefore serve as a perpetual sign or evidence of what he had done and what the Israelites had experienced, even to other generations.

Joshua 4:1-7 reads:

• “And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying, Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, 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….

• 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: 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? 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.” (Joshua 4:1-7)

I am not sure why but as I read this true story of what God had done in the past and where he took the Israelites from, the tears came. I thought on my own life and of the fact that every good thing that I had acquired, it wasn’t me but it was God that did it. Everything that I am today, it was HE that did it.

As tears rolled down my face, I found myself writing the following words:

• Every good thing I acquired in this life, it wasn’t me. HE did it.
• Every milestone that I arrived at, it wasn’t me. HE did it.
• Every battle that I won, it wasn’t me. HE did it.
• Every success that I achieved, it wasn’t me. HE did it.
• Every height that I attained, it wasn’t me. HE did it
• Every thing beautiful that was created from the ashes of my life, it wasn’t me. HE did it.
• Every obstacle that I overcame, it wasn’t me. HE did it.
• Every breath that I continue to breath, it wasn’t me. HE did it.
• Every great thing you see come to pass in my life, it wasn’t me. HE did it.
• Every shout of victory after the storm, it wasn’t me. HE did it.
• Every blessing that I obtain, it is important that you remember, it wasn’t me. HE did it.

Thank you Lord for all that you have been to me throughout all of my life. I am so grateful. You’ve been my comforter through heartbreak, disappointment and oppression, my defence through accusation, criticism and attacks, my provider through famine, hard times and dearth and my peace through storm, unrest and tumult.

Thank you Lord. I am grateful. I survived it ALL because of you. You have preserved me to tell my story and tell my story I shall Lord. The people who I meet and interact with shall hear of it. You are indeed a good God. At this point, I am yet to cross over Jordan but I know that you will get me over because you have brought me so far already.

Thank you in advance.

Love, your daughter.

My stones which shall be for a memorial are the adversities and trials that I have been through, a few of which I have recorded and continue to record in the precious journalistic entries that I have opted to share on this Website.

While I will not wallow in the ordeals I have been through, I will remember them because it is what God took me through and what he delivered me from.

(Written on 11th February, 2017)