This free church bulletin article was written by Brian Humek from Irving, TX. You are free to use this in church bulletins, church emails and on church websites. No credit needs to be given. Simply clicking one of the books on our suggested reading list will help more free content to be placed on this site. Donate your own bulletin article here.
This photo isn’t exactly 12 stones, but you probably get the idea. Imagine these in the middle of a river and piled up a bit taller.
My wife and I used to travel to Newman, IL every year on Memorial Day weekend to visit my Aunt Ellene. She called Memorial Day by its original name, Decoration Day. When she could still get around, it was a day she placed flowers on the graves of her family members. In 1967, the federal government officially changed the name to Memorial Day. This is the day we remember all of America’s fallen soldiers. I praise God for the souls of each and every American that has died in service to his or her country. The Bible also mentions some memorials; we think of the Lord’s supper as such an event. There is one that goes back to Old Testament times.
In Joshua chapters 3 and 4, the story is told of the Israelites crossing the Jordan River while it was at flood stage. God cut off the flow of the river so they could cross on dry ground. This was an amazing miracle for which God wanted them to make a memorial, a reminder that God took care of his children. Joshua took twelve stones, one for each tribe of Israel and made a memorial in the middle of the river. Soon after, the river returned to flood stage. This memorial would appear after the flood season had ended. Imagine the future generations that would live in that land. If they moved there during the flood/harvest season, they would see no memorial of stones in the river. Then when the waters went down, the memorial would seem to magically appear. This was a sign and a reminder of God’s taking care of his children.
I wonder what I could list as a sign of God’s love in my life. I know there has to be more than just one thing. Today, in a book I’m writing, I listed two times during my junior high years when I could have had my life ended or drastically altered in a disastrous way. I also have my bride and my son as wonderful reminders. I have so many blessings in my life that are reminders or memorials that God takes care of his children.
As a child of God, how does he remind you of his love for you?
Suggested Reading
Backgrounds in Early Christianity
Author:Everett Ferguson
Pages: 648
Eerdmans Publising
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 stars
Get More Info on Backgrounds of Early Christianity
.
.
.
.
.
Do Historical Matters Matter in Faith?
Author: Darrel Bock
Pages: 544
Crossway
Rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars
Related posts:
Life is rough. We are beaten up every day. People make us cry. We sometimes make others cry in return. But Christians have a place where there will be no more tears, that place is heaven.
My mouth fell open the day I heard a student in a Christian campus ministry pray, "Dear father God, we are terrible people." I thought that person was incorrect and then had to go to the Bib...
If you’re like me, you forget things. At various times, I forget where my shoes, my wallet, my baseball cap and my car keys are. What kind of things do you forget?
God knows it was not good for man to be alone. Because of this, he created woman. God knows it’s not good for anyone to be alone. Because of this, he created friends. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says so much ...
One of the most difficult Christian disciplines is self-control. Eating, anger, lust, television watching, shopping, drinking, and other types of addictive behaviors are curbed when a person possesses...
Our family is leaving on a trip at noon today, or so we hope. Before we can leave, we must find a rental car. I didn’t think this would be a problem. I called a lot of places and couldn’t find the car...
I used to have a friend (I mean cat) named Spunky. He was my best friend for so many years. At the time he died, he had lived with me for over half my life. Spunky loved me no matter what. If I left h...
Work is hard sometimes, one may even say it is unbearable. We have a savior that can identify with us in so many ways. He was hungry. He was thirsty. He was angry. He was tempted. He had a pretty dema...
