Set Up a Stone

“Father, why is this pile of stones here by the river?” the little boy lifted up a questioning face to his father.

The man glanced down at his son and smiled. “To remind us of how the Lord Jehovah brought us into the land. He made the waters of Jordan to part, so that we passed over on dry ground.”

The little boy clutched his father’s hand more tightly. “Like He did at the Red Sea?”

“Yes, like that. The priests carried the ark into the river first. As long they held the ark in the middle of Jordan, the Lord kept the water back. He has done many great things for us. He commanded us to set up these stones of remembrance, to remind us of His faithfulness.”

---

I wonder how many times a similar conversation took place during the centuries of Israel’s history? I just finished reading through the book of Joshua and it struck me how many times the Israelites set up a stone of witness—three times in that one book, to be exact. As I thought about this, I wondered. Are there times in my life where I need to set up a stone? And if so, how can I do that?

It’s amazing how easily we forget. Forget God’s faithfulness in the past, forget His promises for the future, forget that what He has already done is the surety for what He will yet do in our lives. And when we forget, our faith dims. We become anxious, discontent, and fearful.

What is the solution? Let’s talk about several purposes for setting up a stone, and then we’ll look at practical ways in we which we can do so.

Set Up a Stone for Remembrance

Remembrance results in praise, in strength for the present, and in hope for the future. When you remember God’s mighty works in the past—in saving your soul, in changing your life, in giving you hope, in transforming your relationships, in answering prayer, in providing for your needs—you can’t help but praise and worship Him! And that is a wonderful antidote to discontentment, murmuring, or anxiety.

This is the kind of stone that the Israelites set up in Joshua 4:4-5.

Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.

I would challenge you to remember today some of the things God has done for you in the past. Remember His faithfulness, His mercy, and praise His worthy name!

Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice (Psalm 63:3-7).

Set Up a Stone for Witness

Both to yourself and to others. Sometimes it is not enough to simply remember personally. Sometimes, you need to bear witness to the faithfulness of God in a way that reaches to others as well. We have the privilege to proclaim to the world how great, how faithful, how merciful, how gracious our God is! Other saved people need to hear to encourage them to trust and follow the Lord. The lost need to see what we have that they don’t—a God Who answers prayer, Who cares for His own, Who gives grace and strength for each step of the way. In the process, we will be strengthened to keep on going and hopefully others will be drawn to our wonderful Savior.

A stone of witness can also be a stone of commitment. Israel set up this type of stone in Joshua 22:6-7. Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice: But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the LORD.

Also in Joshua 24:24-27, And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey. So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.

We need to remember not only what God has done for us, but what we are privileged to do for Him. It is important to mark times where you make a commitment to the Lord. Maybe it is something like committing to spend time with the Lord each day or to witness more or to a general surrendering of your life to do whatever He says and go wherever He sends. It’s easy to lose sight of that commitment with time and distraction. May reminding ourselves of His goodness also remind us to serve Him with all our hearts.

Set Up a Stone for Those Coming After

This is similar to setting up a stone of witness. Should the Lord eventually bless me with my own children, one of my desires is to someday be able to tell them of all the things He has done in my life, in saving, keeping and guiding me. So that they know He will do the same for them. God intended each stone in Joshua to serve a double purpose: remembrance and witness, but also memorial for generations to come. To remind those generations that their God is the same today as yesterday. He is just as powerful, loving, just, merciful, and good. And also to remind them that He is worthy of our devotion and service. Even if you don’t have children, what kind of stone are you setting up for those who will follow after? Will they be able to see God’s goodness manifested in your life?

He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD (Psalm 102:17-18).

Ways You Can Erect a Stone in Your Life

While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that you erect a literal stone of remembrance, there are some practical ways that we can recall God’s faithfulness to us.

Keep a record of God’s goodness. You could do this through a prayer journal, in your Bible, or through your regular journal. Record answers to prayer and times when God moved in your behalf. Times when He used you in spite of your weakness, when His power shone through and He made you strong in His strength. Put the date next to a verse He used to speak truth to you just when you needed it. Be creative—if writing isn’t your thing, perhaps you could think back through your life and find photos that are representative of ways God has blessed you and worked in your life. They will be a visual reminder to you of His goodness.

When you are doubting, discouraged, afraid, or anxious, go to the record and remind yourself of Who God is and what He has done.

Recount His Faithfulness to Others Around You. Have you ever been with a group of friends and started recounting stories? Suddenly you’ll remember things you haven’t thought about for so long! “Oh, yeah, remember when…?” “That reminds me…” “I’d forgotten, but a few years ago…” When you start talking, the memories tend to reawaken and keep coming. I believe that’s how it ought to be with us as Christians—we should “abundantly utter the memory of [His] great goodness, and…sing of [His] righteousness (Psalm 145:7).” Whether that’s to your friends informally as you converse in fellowship, in the context of a church testimony service, or to your own children when they ask about your past, it’s our privilege and joy to speak of the great things God has done for us! In the process, we will encourage ourselves and others in the Lord.

One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts (Psalm 145:4).

Set Up a Stone Through Song. So many hymns proclaim the goodness of the Lord, especially in regards to spiritual blessings. Hymns like “Only a Sinner,” “He Lifted Me,” “Man of Sorrows,” “Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners,” and “Grace Greater Than Our Sin,” bring to mind when we got saved, reminding us of how great a salvation we have in Christ. If nothing else, that is reason alone to praise Him with every breath for the rest of our lives!

Claim His Promises. Spend some time finding His promises. As you read them, think of ways in which He has fulfilled them to you. For example, Psalm 73:26. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. Yes, God is the strength of my heart. He has been so many times, and He will continue to be. He is my portion forever. No matter what, in Christ I have all that I need. In doing this, you set up a stone of witness to His goodness in the past. You also set up a stone of faith for the future.

Pass the Stories Along. Some of my favorite books to read are about people in church history, both ancient and recent, who experienced the power of God in their lives. I also love to read about movements of God throughout history such as the reformation. Why? It reminds me that this whole life is not about me. As Christians, we are part of a much bigger story—the story of God’s work in the world throughout the ages. It reminds me that He is faithful to His own, and challenges me to be faithful to Him in my life.

I recall reading about a Christian believer in Cuba who was asked to sign a document, I think it was to renounce his faith. “I cannot, I’m chained,” he said.

The persecuting official snarled, “No, your hands are not chained! Pick up the pen!”

“Yes, they are,” the Christian answered. “I am bound by the chain of Christians who have given their lives for Christ through the centuries. I am a link in that chain, and I will not break it.”

It’s important to look at the stones that believers already set up throughout the past. And it’s equally important to point those coming next to those stories. If you’d like to read some of my favorite memoirs/biographies, I listed them in this post from last summer.

The Stone of Our Past Points to the Future

As we’ve seen already, remembrance produces praise as we look at the past. It produces strength for the present. And it gives us hope for the future. I don’t know about you, but I find it’s all too easy to get anxious about tomorrow.

But dear friend, take courage. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). The God of Moses, Joshua, David, Esther, and Daniel is your God. As He has been faithful in the past of His people and in your own past, so He will continue to be in the future. So let’s go forward with a song of praise on our lips and confident hope in Christ.

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest (Joshua 1:9).