Stones of Remembrance

Joshua 4 has been on my mind the last week or so. It is the story of God once again bringing His people to the place of utter dependence on Him because circumstances left no other option. The Israelites are on the brink of entering the Promised Land but there is a great obstacle in the way. The Jordan River lies before them in a flood having overflowed its banks. God then commands the Priests to carry the ark into the water, God then performs a stunning miracle in true Exodusesque fashion. Joshua 3:17 “Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.”

Once the entire nation passed safely, and may I add dry to the other side of the river, the story becomes more interesting for me, at least at this time of the year. Joshua took twelve men, one leader from each tribe, and gave them a divinely inspired task. They were each to pick up a rock from the riverbed. That is right. God’s great plan is for each man to pick up a rock. How insignificant. How unusual. How easy to reject. How God- like. Here is what He says:
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." Joshua 4:5-7

Why has this passage been on my mind? What is the significance to me? Let me explain. There is a stone in my life that is such a memorial. Not that I picked it up from the bottom of a riverbed that God supernaturally dried up for me. Instead it is a stone of remembrance that when my children ask me of its meaning I am to declare the miraculous providence of God in the sustaining and keeping of my family during 20 days 5 years ago. The date on the stone reads “Sept 18, 2003 - Oct 8, 2003.” Each one of these days were filled with some of the most sweetest communion with God and the most bitter sorrow I have ever experienced. I am of course referring to the life and death of my son Jonathan.

Many of you are new to our church so I would like first of all to invite you to ask of me the question 'What does this stone mean to you?' I could take up more space than I think is appropriate, for a blog, in answering this question. But I would like to, so ask me sometime.

Second, I would like you to know that is not just a Mathers Family memorial. We are all part of this wonderful body called Sovereign Joy, and being part of this body means that God has done glorious things in our past and we need to be reminded of them regularly. I agree with Peter when he says “I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder” 2 Peter 1:13.

Thirdly, we need to minister to each other now with the comfort and strength we have already received from God through His Spirit. 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 is well worth taking the time to read over prayerfully this week. There are people hurting, grieving, going through depression, and spiritual attacks all right now in our little fellowship. Are you doing the work of the ministry and encouraging those around you through prayer, speaking the Word, and simply being there for another? If you do not know anyone who is in any of these situations then quite simply you are not being part of the body.

Finally, (and I mean it) we need to become strong by faith in the Christ Jesus now so that when the time comes that God brings us as a church before a flooded river, with no where else to go, we obey when He calls us to do the impossible. We have such stones in our lives to look back to, that give us the confidence in the great providence of God to press forward despite what apparent difficulties lie ahead.

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:3-6