A Prayer to Remember His Faithfulness
By Ashley Moore
“We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.” - Joshua 4:6-7, NLT
The hand of God was undeniable when we purchased the land where our family now resides. I wanted our kids to grow up with a constant reminder of God's faithfulness and provision. Have you ever set up a memorial to remember God's faithfulness? A friend of ours got a tattoo with the number of stripes that Jesus got when He went to the cross to remind him of the sacrifice of our Savior. One author I know keeps a running list of things she is thankful for to easily recall God's faithfulness. My husband and I set up a stack of stones at the end of our driveway so that when our children and future grandchildren asked about them, we could retell the story of God's provision.
When God instructed Joshua, the nation of Israel's leader, to get stones from the river to stack as a memorial, He wanted the people to have a visual reminder of His past faithfulness. God wanted the people to have a way to endure their present and future struggles based on His character and not their feelings. And God knew that His people would forget if they didn't have some reminder. And we, too, are forgetful people.
- We forget where we put our keys.
- We forget the plans we made for dinner with the neighbor.
- And we forget the thousands of ways God has been faithful to us.
We don't want to lose our keys, so we only hang them in a particular place at home. We would hate to stand up our friends accidentally, so we put a reminder in our calendars about dinner. And because our relationship with God is vital and important to us, we need to memorialize His faithfulness.
So maybe you want to stack stones, put marbles in a jar, or write reminders for yourself. Whatever you do, never forget how faithful God is, has been, and will be to you in the future. And every opportunity you have, share why you set those reminders up with those around you too! May none of us neglect to memorialize His faithfulness.
Let's pray:
Dear Lord,
We thank you for your faithfulness. Scripture tells us You are faithful from one generation to the next (Psalm 119:90). We see Your faithfulness to the Israelites, Gentiles, foreigners, and the people and nations alive right now. Thank You for the practical ways You instruct us to remind ourselves of who You are and what You've done for us. Lord, forgive us for forgetting all the many ways You have come through for us time and time again. And Lord, forgive us for becoming entitled to Your goodness and grace. Lord, we praise You for Your never-ending mercy and that Your Word never fails (Luke 1:37).
Thank You that You never leave or abandon us, and You sealed us for eternity with You by giving us Your Spirit (Hebrews 13:5; Ephesians 1:13-14). Lord, thank You for the visual reminder of Your ultimate act of faithfulness to us on the cross. God, if You'll do that for Your undeserving children, will You not be faithful to care for our lesser needs? You are good, only good, and always good. Would You help us find creative and practical ways to remember Your faithfulness? And would You give us the boldness to speak about Your faithfulness out loud to all who see our memorials and ask about their meaning? Lord, help us to bring it up even if they don't ask. Jesus, prepare the hearts of those with whom we will have these conversations to be receptive to Your goodness. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Yevheniia Bondarieva
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
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