Last night I read Joshua chapters 3 and 4. In these chapters the Israelites cross the Jordan River during flood season - God tells them that so long as the priests are standing in the river, he will stop the water flowing and allow them to cross on dry land. The priests stand there while 40,000 men cross (as well as the women, children and livestock, who weren't counted in that number), then they get out and the river starts flowing again as soon as the priests are on dry land.
When they get to the other side God instructs each tribe to erect a memorial stone so that when their children see the stones and ask why they're there, they can tell them about God performing this miracle and allowing them to cross the Jordan.
These chapters tell us about God - his mercy and his faithfulness to his promises - but they also speak loudly about the human condition. Seriously, if you saw God stop a raging river (and presumably it would have been raging during flood season) and 'pile up' all the water upstream while 80,000 or so people crossed the river on dry land, would you really need a stone to remind you about it? Surely you'd be telling everyone?? Apparently not... we are pretty quick to forget miracles and pretty quick to take the credit for ourselves where we can. I know I see miracles every day - maybe not of the "stop a river flowing" variety, but certainly of the "God is powerful, merciful and loving" variety. How often do I stop to give God the glory? How often do I remember God at all, instead of taking it all for granted?
When they get to the other side God instructs each tribe to erect a memorial stone so that when their children see the stones and ask why they're there, they can tell them about God performing this miracle and allowing them to cross the Jordan.
These chapters tell us about God - his mercy and his faithfulness to his promises - but they also speak loudly about the human condition. Seriously, if you saw God stop a raging river (and presumably it would have been raging during flood season) and 'pile up' all the water upstream while 80,000 or so people crossed the river on dry land, would you really need a stone to remind you about it? Surely you'd be telling everyone?? Apparently not... we are pretty quick to forget miracles and pretty quick to take the credit for ourselves where we can. I know I see miracles every day - maybe not of the "stop a river flowing" variety, but certainly of the "God is powerful, merciful and loving" variety. How often do I stop to give God the glory? How often do I remember God at all, instead of taking it all for granted?
Who among the Gods is like you, O Lord?
Who is like you -
majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
working wonders?
(Exodus 15 v 11)
Who is like you -
majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
working wonders?
(Exodus 15 v 11)
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