God Is Faithful

Joshua 4 gives us one of those moments in Scripture where God essentially tells His people, “Don’t forget this.”

Israel had just experienced the impossible. The Jordan River was at flood stage, standing between them and the land God had promised. Yet, as the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant stepped into the water, God stopped the river and His people crossed over on dry ground. After forty years of wandering, waiting, wondering, and learning to trust God in the wilderness, they had finally stepped into the Promised Land.

But before they moved on, God told them to stop. 

“Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan… and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’” Joshua 4:2–3

Twelve stones. One for each tribe of Israel. They were to take them from the middle of the Jordan and build a memorial with them. Why? Because God knows how quickly we forget.

We can pray desperately for God to move, watch Him answer, celebrate His faithfulness, and then find ourselves anxious about the very next thing that comes along. Yesterday’s miracle can quickly become today’s distant memory. That is why remembering is such an important spiritual discipline.

The stones weren’t magical. There was nothing particularly special about them. Their importance was found in the story they represented. Joshua told Israel that one day their children would see those stones and ask, “What do those stones mean to you?”(Joshua 4:6). And when they asked, the people were supposed to tell the story.

Tell them about the river. Tell them about the wilderness. Tell them how God provided. Tell them how the waters stopped. Tell them how they walked across on dry ground. Tell them that when there appeared to be no way forward, God made a way. That is part of what faithfulness looks like. God doesn't simply want us to experience His goodness; He wants us to remember His goodness and tell the story.

I think we need our own versions of those twelve stones. Not necessarily literal piles of rocks in our yards—although that would certainly get the neighbors asking questions—but reminders of the places where God has met us. Moments when the provision came at just the right time. Prayers that were answered. Doors that opened. Doors that closed and, looking back, we are incredibly grateful they did. Seasons when we didn't know how we were going to make it, but somehow God carried us through.

Some of our stones represent miracles. Others represent endurance. Sometimes God's faithfulness looks like the Jordan River suddenly stopping. Other times, His faithfulness looks like giving us enough strength to take one more step. Both are worth remembering. And remembering God's faithfulness isn't simply about looking backward with nostalgia. Remembering yesterday gives us courage to trust God today.

When another Jordan stands in front of us, we can look back and say, I've seen God provide before. I've watched Him make a way before. I've experienced His presence before. I may not know what He is going to do this time, but I know who He is. That's the power of remembering.

Joshua 4 ends by explaining that God did all of this so that “all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty” and so that His people would “fear the LORD your God forever” Joshua 4:24  God's faithfulness was never meant to terminate with Israel. Their story was supposed to point others toward Him. The same is true for us.

Your story of God's faithfulness may be exactly what someone else needs to hear. Your children need to hear it. Your grandchildren need to hear it. Your friends need to hear it. The next generation needs more than our instructions about faith; they need our stories of faith.

Tell them about the seasons when you were afraid and God met you. Tell them about the prayers you prayed. Tell them about the times He provided. Tell them about the mistakes you made and the grace that found you there. Tell them about the rivers He brought you through.

We don't tell those stories because everything has always gone the way we wanted. It hasn't. We tell them because through every season, God has remained faithful. Maybe today is a good day to stop and look at your own pile of stones.

Where has God met you?

Where has He carried you?

What prayers has He answered?

What has He brought you through that once seemed impossible?

And then, don't keep those stories to yourself. Remember them. Tell them. Pass them on. Because there will be another river. There will be another moment when the way forward isn't obvious. There will be another season when faith requires courage. And when that day comes, look back at the stones. The God who was faithful then is still faithful now. And He will be faithful again.