Joshua 4:5-7 – And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”
The Israelites had to pass over the Jordan river on their way to the promised land. Joshua followed God’s instruction and asked the priests carrying the ark to go in first. The Bible says that as soon as the priests’ feet touched the brink of the water, it rose up in a heap far away and the Israelites were able to cross over on dry ground. What a miracle!
In order to retain this miracle in their memory, Joshua asked the men to pick up 12 stones (one for each tribe) from the Jordan river and keep it with them. One can imagine the Israelites showing their great-grandchildren the stones and retelling the story of how God made the water in the Jordan river rise up when they crossed over.
Has God done a miracle in your life? Do something to commemorate it for the generations to come. Write the experience down in your diary, jot down a note in your Bible, or keep a small souvenir to remind you of the miracle. It will help you share the story later, and who knows… it might even remind you of God’s favour at a time when you’re feeling low.
