Joshua 4:1-7; 19-24

Today we have entered the Promised Land, the destination which had eluded the Israelites for forty years.

Joshua 4:2-3

Gilgal is one of the greatest places in Israel’s history. This is where they encamped the first night after their historic crossing of the Jordan, their first night in the Promised Land.

There are two lessons we can take from this passage and apply to our lives today.

The first is to build monuments. These are markers of significant encounters with God which should not be forgotten over the years. They are symbols of God at work in our lives.

The second is to tell the stories of what God has done in your life.

Why would this be important?

The significance of picking up a stone where the water typically flows was symbolic of the momentous crossing which had taken place. God wanted them to remember what had happened.

We need to mark our God moments with symbols or objects which will take us back to times where God intervened in our lives.

In the New Testament, Jesus told us to receive communion to remember the sacrifice made for our sins.

 Communion – Spiritual markers of His body and His blood

The cross is an outstanding monument to take our minds back to the crucifixion and the price paid for our sins.

One of God’s instructions for living in the Promised Land is to set stones in place as memory markers, something to symbolize God’s intervention in our individual lives and our relationships with our friends and families.

In this passage God also emphasized to Joshua the importance of talking: telling the story.

We should be intentional about having spiritual conversations.

Our children need to hear from us. We need to have purposeful and meaningful conversations with them about God and how He has moved in our lives.

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

If we want to experience God’s victory today and in our future, we have to revisit the work of God in our past.

We need to build these altars in our personal lives, with our friends, and with our families.

As you remember what God has done in your life, it changes your perspective.