Joshua 4:1-7

Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking him to meet you and speak to you.

Bible Reading

“When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan from right where the priests stood and to carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.’ So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, ‘Go over before the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

– Joshua 4:1-7

Devotion

The Israelites followed the ark of the covenant across the Jordan River. Once on the other side, they paused to reflect on what God had just done. God instructs Joshua to create a memorial at that location to remind His people and future generations of what He did. Throughout the Old Testament people created memorials to remember God and things He had done.

Why do we need memorials or reminders? Simply because we forget! In his book Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby writes about “spiritual markers.” Spiritual markers are times in our lives when God reveals Himself to us in powerful ways. These markers or reminders are the guideposts that allow us to move forward in our faith journey. Whenever we are facing a crisis of belief, we can look back at these markers and know that God is faithful, and that He can be trusted with every aspect of our lives.

The Big Question

What do we learn about God from this text?

What are some of the “spiritual markers” in your life? Take time to reflect on all that God has done in your life and thank Him for revealing Himself and being faithful.

Conclude in prayer and silence, reflecting on what you’ve learned.