Trusting God to Turn Problems into Monuments

And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.  Joshua 3:15-17

And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.
And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. Joshua 4:20-22

Have you ever faced a giant so tall, you thought it was the end? You stand there, mouth agape and wonder, Lord, how am I going to conquer this?

Newsflash - you won't. But God can.

Joshua and the Children of Israel faced another barrier on their journey to the Promised Land - the Jordan River.

It was harvest season and the Jordan River was swollen. Yet, in this moment, God chose to lead the Israelites to its banks. On the other side of the Jordan was the land they had searched for, and they needed to get there. Swimming was not an option as the water was swift and all consuming. Walking across was also not an option. To them, there were no options.

Until God's presence. The Scripture says when the priests carrying the Ark (God's presence) touched to water, a miracle happened. 40 years after the Red Sea, God again parted the waters and slayed the giant for His children. It took faith and trust that He would once again provide.

Now, He didn't have to make it as easy for them. God could have said, I'll be with you through the water. He could have allowed the water to trouble them to secure their faith in Him all the more. He could have let them fear the water and what it could bring to them. But He didn't. He parted it for them.

Joshua did not allow this miracle to end. He commanded twelve stones to be taken from the riverbed and set as a memorial to the faithfulness of God. This monument would declare to future generations the faithfulness of God during the times when all hope seemed lost.

What monuments will we leave for our children, grandchildren, and future generations so they can see the faithfulness of God in our lives?
Robert Morgan shared three ways we can do this:
1. Document our testimony. Sure - it may not be pretty and even embarrassing how far we let ourselves get into sin, but the grace of God will be the most important aspect of it. It can also document milestones in our lives and how God was faithful through each of them.

2. Leave behind a Bible filled with testimonies, thoughts, and moments with God.

3. Leave a life filled with moments of service to Him and a wonderful example of Godliness in our simple everyday moments.

C