To make a long story short of why this old post is now relevant, a series of unfortunate events have transpired. Have you ever wanted to 'forget' about allowing God to do something in your heart because it meant this left you vulnerable to be hurt? These events made me so want to shrink back to the days before He began softening/melting away the layers of hurt that served to shield my heart. A time where, at the Lord's leading, my heart spilled out and I fell on the rock begging Him to help me trust Him in order to become vulnerable enough to trust others. It was a time of healing and restoration. Despite what has currently taken place to make me want to 'go back' and cling to old patterns of my flesh, God beckons once again. My heart pours out as I beg God to help restore my trust in others. God is sovereign and as He has proven over and over again, his promises are loving, true, and for my benefit. So for those of you wondering what the Lord is doing with our family, we are rebuilding memorials of His faithfulness, His provision and asking Him to restore the very clear direction we once had for this city where we live.
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Joshua 4 1 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, 2 "Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 3 and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan from right where the priests stood and to carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight." 4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 and said to them, "Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' 7 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." ……….. 17 So Joshua commanded the priests, "Come up out of the Jordan." 18 And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before. 19 On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. 20 And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. 21 He said to the Israelites, "In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, 'What do these stones mean?' 22 tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' 23 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. 24 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."
God commanded the Isrealites to build a memorial to help them remember the awesome thing that the Lord did for them. They would have an amazing legacy to share with their children. This memorial was something visible so that they could never forget to share with their kids, grandkids and the many generations that followed. A physical proof designed to recall, reflect and remind a feeble minded people of the miracle of God’s provision in their lives.
So many times I have found that I take this concept to a different extreme. Instead of building memorials that show the next generations what the Lord has done for me & my family, showing evidence of His faithfulness toward our provision ……… In my flesh, I build different kinds of memorials. Unfortunately, these memorials are designed to protect & serve the purpose of self preservation……….. They are memorials to help bring to the forefront of my mind, hurtful words or actions done or said against my family or myself. Memorials that remind me not to get too close to anyone that will eventually either intentionally or unknowingly chose to hurt myself or someone I love. Idols that keep my mind held captive to what is not glorifying to God. Memorials of bondage…… bondage to what has either already transpired or will not yet be given the opportunity to transpire. Memorials that rob, cheat and steal God’s joy, peace & fruit in my walk with Christ.
The memorials in my life that I need to dwell on with the kind of devotion that the Lord desired for the Isrealites, should be ones that reflect this verse.
Philippians 4:8-9 8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
I was chatting with a pastor at church, who knew the process in which the Lord was taking me through and I told him........ "I asked the Lord to do this work in my heart, spilled out the pain, help me forgive and show me how to love despite unrepentance, but then it just gets thrown in my face again. How can I ever overcome something that never gets resolution." He replied very simply "The day you get it thrown in your face again and it does not make you cringe, with be the day God has had HIS way with the hurt and true healing is complete. There need not be resolution or even restoration, but the burden of the weight needs to rest on the Lord's shoulders, not yours." What he was showing me was that it isn't till that work of God or knowledge comes to life again and challenges the purification when we are given an opportunity to 'try again' that WE discover if God has a fully surrendered, purified & contrite heart. It is never a mystery to God, yet we are the ones who trade ignorance for the reality of where our heart finds its allegiance.
