In the River
I started reading the book of Joshua. I have only read up to chapter 5, and the one thing that stood out as I was reading was how much God emphasized: "Be strong and courageous." Through the first 5 chapters, it leads us into the moments where God parts the Jordan River. The Israelites that were taken out of Egypt with Moses's help never had the opportunity to enter the Promised Land because of their disobedience. So now God appointed Joshua; it's like everyone's second chance, and now Joshua is the one who will lead.
Joshua 1:9, "This is my command---Be STRONG and COURAGEOUS! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (NLT)
God's hand was all over Joshua and the Israelites. He never once left their side, and Joshua made sure to obey everything that God was telling him to do. God made that promise to Joshua that he would be with them wherever they went. He made that promise to you too! From Chapter 3-4, we see Joshua and the Israelites crossing the Jordan. When everyone finished, Joshua picked twelve men just as God instructed and had them pick up a stone. This stone was to be piled on top of the others and placed in the area where they set up for camp. Joshua then picked up twelve other stones and put them in the middle of the Jordan River in the same place where the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant were standing. (Fun Fact: if you were to go and visit those stones, they are there till this day!!)
The part that got me was in Joshua 4:21-24. It says, "Then Joshua said to the Israelites, "In the future your children will ask, 'What do these stones mean?' Then you can tell them, 'This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' For the Lord your God dried up the river right before your eyes, and he kept it dry until you were all across, just as he did at the Red Sea when he dried it up until we had all crossed over. He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord's hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord your God forever." (NLT)
Joshua made another mark aside from the one that God had said to put. This reminder will be told from generation to generation; that God is powerful and his hand is always at work in our lives. We need to be a Joshua and remember that God is always near and will always prevail. Getting into Nursing school is one of the many stones that I have placed in my life to remind me just how faithful God has been because without God, I wouldn't be where I am. Anything complicated we face, God calls us to be STRONG and COURAGEOUS! He provided for Joshua not only because he had faith but because he was obedient and clung to the word of God more than anything.
What do your "stones" look like?