Let this be a sign among you . . .
Joshua 4:6
Whose idea was it for 12 men to take 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan River and set them up in the camp as a memorial? God’s, of course. He wanted His people and their successive generations to have a tangible reminder of the miraculous dry-ground crossing of the flood-stage Jordan.
And this wasn’t unique. The Scriptures are loaded with memorials! Rainbows, manna, Passover, a bronze serpent, the stone Jacob anointed at Bethel, the Sabbath, communion… They serve to remind and underscore some occasion of the Lord’s presence, power, or promise. For the Lord knows how easily we forget, and these divine interventions or messages must not be forgotten!
Sometimes the Lord gave specific directions about setting up a memorial. But often it was the Lord’s people who took the initiative to memorialize something God had done or said. And the Lord seems to have been pleased with their efforts to honor Him and remember what He did.
But that was in biblical times. What about now?
I firmly believe God wants us to cultivate the practice of memorial-making. To be (a) on the lookout for, and (b) purposefully remembering those instances when God has intervened in our lives and made Himself clearly known to us. Not only to help us remember, but also to keep us walking closely with Him! To deepen the relationship with the God who made Himself so very real to us.
So as you reflect back on 2020, how has the Lord met you? What did He say to you through His word? What has He revealed about Himself to you this year?
And to keep from forgetting, how will you memorialize the encounter(s)? How will you underscore the impact? How will you honor Him by keeping it fresh?
Before 2020 is over, I urge you to create a tangible reminder of at least one instance in which the Lord has intervened or spoken clearly to you this year. If you can’t think of anything, ask the Lord to jog your memory. More than anyone, He wants you to Let this be a sign among you!