A Good Memory

 

"So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 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, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' 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."

Joshua 4:4-7

 

One of the things I like to do when we travel is to get postcards. I don't send them to people; I keep them for my collection. I have boxes filled with cards from all over the country and many other countries. They remind me of the places I have been and the stories that go along with those places. Remembering our stories is why people like to get souvenirs when they vacation. They can look at it and tell the stories or the meaningful events they represent.

Our memory is a wonderful thing; all we have ever experienced is locked in our memory to be accessed at a later time. The tricky part is we don't always have easy access to it, and we need something to help us remember. That is what God is showing us in Joshua chapter 4.

Joshua was told to have the elders take a stone from the center of the Jordan while the waters were parted and stack them up on the dry land. That way, in the future, when people, young and old, saw the pile of rocks and asked what they were there for, the people of Israel would remember the story of all God had done for them.

This teaching tool can be effective for us today as well. When God has done something meaningful in your life, create a memorial to help you remember the event. This can be something you build, a photograph, or even a postcard. Write down the story and what it means to you. This can be passed down from generation to generation.

I have journaled since I was 18 years old. I have all my journals, and someday, my family will get them when I am gone from this world. This is my way of sharing with them what God has done in my life and my journey in following Him. My journals do not only contain my victories and successes in life; they also include my failures and disappointments. Do not allow your life and all your experiences to disappear when you pass on. An old Chinese proverb says, "When an old man dies, a library is burned to the ground."

Your memories are not just for you. There are there to show others the goodness of God and His power in the life of a sinner saved by grace.

 

You can learn more about Personal Development from the author and speaker, John Patrick Hickey. To get his books, training material, or book him to speak to your church, business, or group, visit our website: www.growthcenter.net.    © 2022 John Patrick Hickey. No part of this material may be reprinted or published without the author's written permission.