What are we focused on?

After the people of Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years, God led them across the Jordan River into the promised land of Canaan. This was not an ordinary river crossing. God stopped the Jordan from flowing and allowed the priests to stand in the middle of the river bed, with the ark of the covenant, as the Israelites walked passed. This spectacular event was an obvious miracle that God wanted His people to remember and pass down to future generations.

We read in Joshua 4:5-7

"Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' 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.”

Memorials are anything that serves as a reminder to specific time or place when God revealed Himself and said: "I am here!" We must never forget the miracles in our life, nor the times God gave us clear direction or freed us from darkness.

When David went to fight Goliath, he did so without trepidation because he knew: "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine" 1 Samuel 17:37. David had witnessed God's supremacy and felt His authority during earlier battles. It's easy to envision David with a lion's tooth or a bear's claw around his neck as a reminder that God was very near.

The company of God is a magnificent place to be - it's where our Heavenly Father longings for us to live every day of our life! But His presence can often be illusive and delicate; when we find it, it seems to rapidly diminish away. Most of us have so much involvement from the world that we become easily diverted from God. We must not tolerate this to occur!!

We must become more aware of God as He works in our life and in the world around us. As we see and hear Him, we must find ways to create memories for ourselves and those we love; "I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago" (Psalm 77:11). Memorials help and encourage us to remember.

Let's never forget He is by our side and desires for us to draw, and remain, near. Let's become the living examples of a life devoted (each and every moment) to God. Let's regain the heart of worship and share the stories of God's love. Let's remember...and look for ways to create lasting memorials.

~ Father, I pray that you make your presence known, help us to build memorials to You and the blessings that You pour down on us. Make us memorials of testimony to You and Your majestic power.
Father we know that we must for a short time live in this world, help us to not be of this world remind us of the counsel from scripture in: 1 John 2:15 NIV
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

Father keep us focused on You and Your will help us to pray “Father, I will do whatever You ask of me this day if You only give me Your grace to be obedient.”

We pray these things in the name of Your Son our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ… Amen ~