“Spiritual memory is crucial in the Christian life.” Quote from Henry Blackaby. Makes my heart sing.
Why? As I guide people to capture the essence of their life-story in a photobook, I am convinced that one of the most important parts I can encourage them to include is looking at the key crossroads in their lives. Their milestones and highlights. What shaped them? Their character? Their beliefs?
Blackaby (in the devotional I was reading) stated that without the help of these markers, you will lose your spiritual bearings. Sounds serious, doesn’t it? After reading his shared insight, I believe he is correct.
In order to drive home what a spiritual marker is all about, Blackaby took me back to the book of Joshua, chapters 3 & 4. If you remember, the Israelites had a “tumultuous pilgrimage” exiting slavery in Egypt and heading for the “land of milk & honey” which the Lord promised them. When they doubted God was powerful enough, it cost them 40 years of wandering in the wilderness before they finally accepted His power was true and they were allowed to get to the destination.
At that point, at the border of the Jordan River, Joshua was leading them – and he was following all that the Lord directed him to do. They had finally reached the “promised land”…BUT…God knew the Israelites would face intimidating enemies as they took over the land. They would need a reminder that He was powerful enough to protect them. A spiritual marker.
This devotional drove me to read all of chapters 3 & 4 — the story of the Israelites crossing the Jordan River. I promise it is worth your while to get the full picture and details. Joshua told the people to “consecrate” or prepare themselves for the day of the crossing and then he followed the Lord’s specific instructions in guiding the crossing the next day. It would be an amazing day:
- Priests carrying the ark of the covenant went first to the edge of the water
- As the Lord had said, as soon as the priests stepped into the Jordan River, “its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap”
- And it DID – even though the Jordan was at flood stage
- Water upstream stopped flowing, piled up in a heap at a town a great distance away
- Water flowing downstream was completely cut off
- The people crossed – all in one day – it’s estimated there were up to 2 million people
- The priests stood “firm on dry ground” and the people crossed on “dry ground” – pretty amazing given it was a river just moments before – and flowing at flood stage
Then came the point Blackaby was making. The Israelites needed a spiritual marker because they had hard times coming and might be tempted to think they made a mistake entering the promised land. For this reason God instructed them to build a monument which would remind them of God’s awesome power. This marker would give them confidence that they could trust the Lord.
Just to show how concerned they were about their safety, I noted that they followed Moses’ instructions to Joshua. The first to cross (as the priests stood in the middle of the dry ground) were about 40,000 of the men armed for battle.
As everyone had crossed, safely, they turned and watched as the priests and the ark safely finished crossing last. As the priests carrying the ark came up out of the river onto the dry ground of the banks, “the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before.”
THAT would have been a sight to remember, for sure!!
Knowing they would need a way to remember, the Lord had prepared for this. He instructed them to have 12 men, one from each tribe, take up 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan, right where the priests stood. They were to carry them to their camp where Joshua set them up in a monument. It appears they were larger stones because each man was instructed to carry his on his shoulder.
And here we are at the point I love. The stones were “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 4:6-7
And just to make sure they ‘got it’, Joshua told them as he set the stones up at their camp at Gilgal, “In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.” Joshua 4:21-24
A spiritual marker identifies a time of decision when you clearly know that God guided you – according to Blackaby, like:
- …specific times when He called you to His ways of living
- …when He guided you in a decision
- …when He spoke powerfully to you about a commitment you should make, or did make
- …when He walked with you through a terrible time or tragedy
- …when He showed up in your life – clearly & purposefully
One of my dearest Life-Story photobook course takers gave the best description of this when she said:
The Life Story section really opened my eyes to so much understanding of my current life and values…. Looking back made me fill in the blanks (or missing puzzle pieces) in my life…. I also saw God’s love for me as I grew up, how he blessed me, protected me, and grew me. Words cannot describe, but photos often do…. Thanks to the Life Story, I have been more focused on seeing how God has shown up in my life in the past, and can better see His works in the present and hope for the future. I am saved, I am loved, and I am blessed….
Keep track of those important moments! Not only will it help you understand God’s activity in your life, it will give you a sense of direction as you face future decisions, and it will provide you with some core points and stories undergirding your Life-Story. My challenge – write those core points and stories in free-flow or however you can dash it off – NOW. Or ‘talk to text’ about them. Just preserve them and put them in a place marked “My Life-Story”. I’ll be checking back in with you to help you do something meaningful with them.
