Remembering Dry Rivers in Your Droughts

Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day. - Joshua 4:9

Welcome back to our study on Joshua! Today we are looking at Joshua 4, and the Israelites crossing over the Jordan into the Promise Land. Here, after consecrating themselves, Joshua is about to lead the Priests first (with the Arc of the Covenant and the presence of God) into the river Jordan. The Priests obey God, as directed by Joshua, and upstream the water piles up, and within hours the river Jordan is a dry river bed.

There are thousands of massive, round, beautiful river rocks in the river bed. Thousands of years of erosion and water flowing over the rocks makes them smooth, rounded, lovely to look at. Joshua orders the 12 tribes to grab one rock a piece. They make two memorials: one on the other side of the river where they are going to camp for the night - and one DEAD center in the middle of the river. 12 rocks, assumably very large, round rocks, piled up in the middle of the dry river as a memorial to God.

The God who makes bridges out of rivers. The miracle worker who is going to bring you into the Promise Land.

Joshua tells the people that the stones are there to REMEMBER THE MIRACLE.

”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 4:6-7

I want to focus on these stones. The ones in the middle of the river.

Because the thing about these stones… is… when the river was flowing as in harvest season, the rocks would most likely be underwater: covered by the bounty of rain.

But when they were in drought season - the rocks would be exposed.

In other words, the rocks could only be seen during a drought. They were reminders of God’s faithfulness in the toughest of times - like when there is no rain, no water and no harvest at all.

It got me thinking this week: to we do this? Do we make sure we mark the miracles of God - so that we can return to them in hard times? Do we remember when God move in power so we can trust him when His hand seems withheld? Do we make stones of remembrance to remember during the droughts of life?

Today - take 5 minutes and write down the last FIVE miracles you saw God do. If you are really ambitious, write down 12. Write down miracles of God and keep them somewhere close - in a sock drawer, in your night stand, in your desk at work.

And, when inevitably droughts come —gaze at your miracles. If God dried up a river he can handle your obstacle today. The stones were built for the drought.