Memorials

Joshua 4:1-7 (NLT), “When all the people had crossed the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe. Tell them, ‘Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. Carry them out and pile them up at the place where you will camp tonight.’” So Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen—one from each of the tribes of Israel. He told them, “Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the Lord your God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder—twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.’”

It is important to look back and see the way the Lord has been at work in our lives. If we look closely we can see him even in the darkest times we have faced. Deuteronomy 5:15 (NLT), “Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, but the Lord your God brought you out with his strong hand and powerful arm. That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to rest on the Sabbath day.”  Being slaves in Egypt was one of Israel’s darkest hours.  God told them to remember that time and to remember how he brought them out of slavery. 

Memorials are important. They stand to remind us of God's goodness and sometimes of our weakness. It is important to remember both. We are not victims of our past, we are victors through Christ, however, our past has played a large part in who we are today.

Deuteronomy 8:2 (NLT), “Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands.”  Here we notice that sometimes God allows the circumstances in our lives to teach us and to prove our character.  We need to remember those times too. Israel circled the wilderness for 40 years because they failed to learn the lessons they were being taught.  They didn't remember from one trail to the next how God had worked in and through them, or how he had fought on their behalf.  If we walk away from a learning experience and then forget the lesson, I have bad news for us; we will have to relearn the lesson again.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to waste the time nor do I want the trials again.  I want to remember the lessons after the first pass around the mountain.

Deuteronomy 9:7 (NLT), Remembering the Gold Calf: “Remember and never forget how angry you made the Lord your God out in the wilderness. From the day you left Egypt until now, you have been constantly rebelling against him.”  It is also important to remember our failures.  We are not perfect and thus, we all fail.  When we look back on our life, there are those times when we failed to live according to the standard set in the Word.  We may have willfully disobeyed, or we may have stumbled in our walk.  Looking back on those times is important because it shows us God’s amazing grace and forgiveness.  We don’t live in the shadow of those failures any longer, but we remember them and be encouraged to keep fighting the good fight. 1 Timothy 6:12a (NLT), “Fight the good fight for the true faith.”

Isaiah 46:9 (NLT), “Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me.”   We need to remember the amazing things God has done in our lives. We need to recount for our soul the answers to prayer, the battles fought and won, and the way God sustained us even in our darkest hour (maybe even before we knew him).  The Word tells us, "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." Romans 5:8 (NLT)

God has always been and always will be with us!  Remember his goodness today!!!

Memorials

By Melissa Larabee

As you look back over your life, the good, bad, in between, pay special attention and you will find my hand can always be seen.

I was with you from the start, I never left you alone. I’ll be with you till the end when I call you home.

Mankind was placed upon the earth with free will from the start.  All went well until sin came to enter the first man’s heart.

Throughout the ages I've had to watch as my children had to pay.  But all the time I knew I would die, I’d give my life away.

As you've struggled in this life, I've always cared for you.  Even when there was pain and hurt, it was I who say you through.

Why do I allow all the hurt, the dark and endless night?  Because, dear child, each one has free will, you can give in or you can fight.

The enemy of your soul is out to steak, kill, and to destroy.  To play upon man’s free will is his greatest ploy.

He makes you think about yourself above all other cares.  To seek your own, fight for your rights, as if I were not there.

Because I've given mankind the choice, choose me, yes or no?  I will never force you child, because I love you so.

Many choose to live for self, to fulfill all lust’s desires.  Because of this the price is death, to fulfill what the law requires.

I chose to take up my cross to pay the price for thee, so upon my back sin clung as I died upon that tree.

I paid the price to set man free from the chains that bound them tight. But each one has to choose to win, then I will help them fight.

I've never once turned my back or ever walked away.  I was there dear child you see, on your darkest day.

My heart is grieved as I must watch the dark appear to win, but my child, please understand, that’s the consequence of sin.

When you choose to live for self and care not what you do, in that moment Satan has his awful hands on you.

He’ll drag you down as low as he can possible make you go.  Then he’ll drop you on your face, with him it’s just a show.

He doesn't care about you at all; it’s me he wants to pain.  He knows I grieve each and every time more ground in you he gains. 

But if you stand and say, “No more” and call upon my name; I will hold you in my hands, I’ll remove all the stains.

I’ll give the strength that you need to stand and fight again, when I return for my bride these battles all will end.

So take careful stock of where you've been the journey that you've made.  Recognize my precious child; upon your life my hand was always laid.