HSBC Coffeebreak Devotional

"'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 3:6-7 NIV

Memories... memories of happy times, new places or adventures, accomplishments... we work hard at making and holding onto good memories. We take lots of photographs or video footage; we buy souvenirs; we relive and retell those memories at family gatherings; we want to make sure that we don't forget.

One summer I was attempting to "make memories" with our grandchildren. One of the projects we worked on was making concrete garden stepping stones, where the grandchildren were able to make handprints and footprints in and write their name and date. They expressed how much fun it would be to place their hands and feet in the prints the next time they came to visit and see how much they had grown.

As I was reading the book of Joshua and was reminded of God's miraculous hand in providing for and protecting His people, even to the point of making the waters of the Jordan River stop while the Israelites crossed over, I was encouraged to trust Him more. God told these people to erect a stone monument there so that when future generations, who hadn't been a part of this journey, came by, they would see these stones and ask why they were there or what they meant. God wanted a memento placed there to cause people to relive and retell the story of His goodness because He knew this would be encouraging and cause others to trust Him more, too.

As I pondered this, I was faced with the question, "Do my mementos remind me of worldly things or do they remind me of how great and mighty God is?" Do I possess anything that would cause one of my grandchildren to ask, "Grandma, what does this mean?" giving me the opportunity to tell them about an event in my life where God's hand was very evident. I have been challenged by that question and desire to make a point of saving mementos or building monuments so that when others ask what or why, I can tell them about God's faithfulness and mightiness.

Lord, help me be alert to Your presence and working in my life. This helps me trust You more and as I tell others, they are encouraged to trust You more too. Amen

Written by
Liz Anderson