Remember Your Blessings
In trials it’s easy to become overwhelmed by your circumstances. God wants to remind us of how He’s seen us through other tough situations. Here are some reminders of His blessings.
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1 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 3 and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.”
4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”
8 So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. 9 Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been[a] in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.
When the weight of life is crushing, it can feel like there's no light. Our circumstances can blind us and cloud our judgment. For those suffering right now, things can look very bleak, and it can be challenging to remember your blessings.
God is most glorified when we choose to trust Him during these tough situations. But here's the issue: It can be challenging to trust God when you move into an uncertain future. Sometimes when you're making progress, things get even trickier. For God's people in Joshua 4, and anyone reading this, the tough times are not over. No matter what you're going through now, there will be more days in your future that are challenging. But that's not a reason to despair!
Jesus said in this world, you will have trouble, and you will experience tribulation. But Jesus instructs us, "Take heart for I have overcome the world."
When the Israelites approached Jericho, they stood where many battles had been fought. They stood on enemy territory. God knew that for His people to face those future battles, they needed a memory jogger, something that reminded them of how far He's brought them. This passage shows His people gathering stones from the Jordan River as a reminder.
Do you have anything to remind you of God's grace?
In scripture, rocks are used as metaphors that signify strength, steadiness, and durability. There are more than 60 verses that refer to God in some way as our rock.
Examples of God as our Foundation
“There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” 1 Samuel 2:2
“Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.” Isaiah 26:4
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalms 18:2
The Israelites wondered how they would survive in future battles against enemies much more significant in strength and number than they could ever be. God taught the Israelites not to love the rocks, but what they represented, so He tells them the secret. When they were instructed to collect stones from the Jordan, He was saying, "Remember what I have done for you. Before you go into battle and face the next difficult time in your life, remember what the Lord has done."
We can collect stones in our lives.
Record your accomplishments in your journal.
Capture the crossing in your memory.
Before you look forward to Jericho, look backward to Jordan, and what God has accomplished in their memory is vital to our faith.
Memory is as much about the present as it is about the past. We lose our anchors when we forget our memories. When we remember what God has done in our lives, it has the power to ignite new faith in our present-tense faith by reminding us of His faithfulness in the past.
These rocks are not reminders of our circumstances but the power of God. When we see our stones, it's a reminder that He wants you to remember who He is and His miracle-working power for you in the past. It is also alive for you in the present.
However, it's essential to recall this when you're in the thick of hard times, but it can be not easy. It's these moments when our anxiety seems so much greater than our ability to remember God's faithfulness.
Reminders Of God's Blessings
1) God is Your Supply
In his book, A Room to Remember, Frederick Buechner reminds us that there is a deep need in all of us to remember intentionally. The enemy of your soul will do everything it can to keep you from remembering what the Lord has done and who He is. However, God has the power to minister to your needs, and He is the supply for every human cry.
In these periods of hurt, it can be challenging to make it day-to-day. But, remember He says that in our weakness is a strength beyond our strength that has pulled us through at least this far.
2) God is Your Pool
Early in my career, I was planting a church, and I had a gentleman pull me aside one morning after service. He knew times were tough, and he told me, "I know it's easy to get discouraged while you're planting truth right now, but God will pull you through if you can stay in the pool."
Some of you are wondering right now, how can I stay in the pool? You may feel like you're being torn apart, but whatever challenging situation you're in, God will give you the grace and strength needed. I don't want to minimize or trivialize your problem, but God is looking for people who are willing to trust Him through difficult situations. God will have to be the strength beyond all of your strength, or you will not make it.
3) God is Your Next Step
We'd all like to know the next steps of our life, but that rarely happens. It'd be nice in the midst of your struggles to see the exit plan, but typically God only lights your path one step at a time. He usually doesn't light up the whole thing, but just enough to enable us to invite Him into our inaccessible journey.
4) God is Your Hope
God tells the faint of heart not to lose heart. His love that goes beyond in and all of our power to love has kept our hearts alive. Thank you, Lord, that my heart is alive because you are the love of all of us.
So in this room called Remember, it's possible to find peace. The peace comes from looking back and remembering that though we were never really alone most of the time, we fail to see it. Not one moment. We have someone to thank for our survival. So stack some stones and gather some heart rocks; Forget none of His benefits.
Steps for Your Next Trial
1) Create A Trophy Room in Your Heart
Each time you experience a victory, place a memory on the shelf. Then, before you face a challenge, take a quick tour of God's accomplishments. Look at all the paychecks He's provided, all the blessings, and be reminded of all your prayers that He's answered.
2) Don't Go To Jericho Until You've Remembered the Jordan
When you're down, and you feel like God has forgotten you, take a look at where you've been and how God has cared. In the words of an old songwriter, "You may not know when, but He'll do it again." God has the power to do it again.
3) It's Okay To Not Be Okay
If you're facing uncertainty, that's okay! God doesn't require us to have everything buttoned-down, and we don't always need to know where we're going. We only have to trust God. We've all got concerns, folks, but God is looking for people to be committed to Him.
So as we face battles together individually as a congregation, don't forget the correct password to difficult situations is "Remember."
TL;DR
God is most glorified when we choose to trust Him during these tough situations.
We gather memories as reminders of what God has done for us in our life.
Memory is as much about the present as it is about the past.
Reminders of God’s blessings:
God is your supply.
God is your pool.
God is your next step.
God is your hope.
Steps for your next trial:
Create a trophy room in your heart.
Don’t go to Jericho without remembering the Jordan.
It’s okay not to be okay.
Related Reading
Feeling Stuck in a Rut? by Bro. Chris Carter
How to Deal With Anxiety by William Merriman
Four Reminders to Finding Courage by Bro. Chris Carter
About Christ Church Memphis
Christ Church Memphis is church in East Memphis, Tennessee. For more than 65 years, Christ Church has served the Memphis community. Every weekend, there are multiple worship opportunities including traditional, contemporary and blended services.
