Memory Stones

Click here to read Joshua 4

I can't help but think that when Joshua told the 12 men to go and pick up a stone and bring it back to the camp that there was at least one that thought about getting a little stone, one that would be easy to carry. At least, that would be what would go through my mind! 

There are a lot of things that serve as "memory stones" in our lives. Pictures, videos, journal/diary entries. Even certain smells can cause us to remember something from the past - good or bad. A lot of the music I listen to serves as memory stones, transporting me back to days with high school and college friends, concerts that we saw, trips we took. They all serve to remind me of great times of laughter and sharing. Whenever I hear Tom Petty's "Free Falling" I remember a trip  I took with my son and daughter (Jonathan and Cassie) where, every time we played the song, we would sing it at the top of out lungs.
 

But there are also things that remind me of the bad times. Someone you see, even in a picture, an old letter or card or documents that I may have held on to for some strange reason. They remind me of pain, struggle, a sense of loss, and confusion. And yet, those memories - those stones, can serve a positive purpose, even in their negative history. They may remind us of the negative times but, if we don't obsess about that, they can serve to show that we have moved on, recovered, healed, grown stronger, overcome! That is, if we aren't clinging to these negative things and reopening old wounds and feelings, which some people tend to do. That's not good for us and it prevents us from moving forward, healing and growing and learning from those difficult experiences.

How do we go about developing memory stones that remind us of what God has done in our lives? That is what I asked myself as I read through this chapter. Sure, all of the afore mentioned "stones" can be part of that pointing to God but should there not be more specific memory stones in my life that directly point to God and what he has done? Scripture does, certain people do, the cross around my neck does (though it's significance has changed a bit since I lost my original cross - 15 years I had that cross!), places - like a church or a certain geographical location, certain gestures - like the making of the cross with my hand across my body, or kneeling, even walking a labyrinth; these "memory stones" can direct my thoughts and memories to God.

And let us not forget the sacraments, or, as Wesley referred to them, the graces of God: communion, prayer, worship, our baptism, reaching out to and serving others. These all serve to bring us back, or to remind us of, our place with God and the love he has poured out on us.

I would hope that, as I stand in the middle of whatever dry riverbed that God has led me through, and he tells me to pick out a stone to remember this event through which he was glorified and worked in my life, that I will pick up the biggest and most perfectly shaped stone there is and put it where I will always be reminded: 

"He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord’s hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord your God forever.” (Joshua 4:24)

Holy God, remind me of who you are. Stir up my memory of what you have done in my life. Help me to tell others the stories of God, the mercy you have poured out and the love you bestow. May my very life serve as a memory stone to others. Amen.

Stop, Drop, and Listen

Click here to read Joshua 3

The spies have made it back, thanks to Rahab, and the next morning Joshua and the people head over to the Jordan River to set up camp for a few days. Something's in the works, there's a plan being put together and people are beginning to get the word: when they see the priests pass by with the Ark of the Covenant, they are to fall in line - at a distance - and follow them, since they've never been there before. In other words, don't run ahead and get yourself lost. Or worse, dead!

Isn't that like human nature? In fact, isn't that like our spiritual nature, to run ahead, to think we know the way to wherever God is leading us, only to discover that we took a wrong turn somewhere? My impatience gets the best of me, at times. "God, you're moving too slow." "I don't want to have to go through this experience in order to get where you want me to be." So, I jump ahead, I skip the line. And I get lost. Or worse.

What happens next should cause us to stop in our spiritual tracks.  Joshua 3:5 says:

Then Joshua told the people, “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you.”

The people are eager to get moving. They can see the other side, the land they've been headed towards for a long while, but before God is able to do his work, the people must purify themselves. They must seek forgiveness and commit themselves again to God - in preparation for God's work to come. It's as if God is saying, "for me to do what I need to do, you must first get yourselves ready." 

There is no doubt in my mind that I have missed out on a lot of God's work in my life because I was "unprepared" and not in a right relationship with him. As the saying goes, God can't use what he doesn't have. How often have we been left standing with our hands at our side and wonder why God has left us standing by the side of the road? Most often, I believe, is because we've run ahead and got ourselves in a mess and then we're not willing to admit that we blew it, that we failed, that we sinned, that we were selfish, that we were unkind, that we were controlling, that we were.... And God can't use us because he doesn't have us. Jesus' words come to mind:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? (Matt. 16:24-26, NLT)

Another thing that catches my attention is Joshua 3:9. 

So Joshua told the Israelites, "Come and listen to what the LORD your God says. 

"Come and listen." Perplexing words to a person who is always on the move and crowded out by sound and commotion. It reminds me of when I was a kid and my brothers and I would be so excited about going somewhere special, being ready to bolt out the door, and then having our parents to yank us back into the house and sit us down to go over some some sort of ground rules or how they expected us to behave or something. I mean, really, the last thing we wanted to do at the moment was to sit and listen.  

Here are the Israelites, all pretty pumped about what was going to happen. They have been waiting for this moment for a pretty long time. They were about to cross over into the promised land; they were going to see God do another miracle. There was excitement and anticipation all around, but I'm sure there was plenty of worry and hesitation, as well, because they also knew that they were going to have to face a whole lot of uncertainty - there might even be battles that have to be fought. Their minds were all over the place but they were ready to go! But Joshua calls to them and says, "come and listen." Just as my parents had some things for us boys to know before we headed out to wherever, there were some instructions from God that the Israelites needed to hear, and their attention needed to be refocused in order to hear.  

    

I'm not a good listener at times. My mind can get pretty occupies, filled with worry, dwelling on things it shouldn't be. I'm going here and there with my schedule, busy doing "my stuff" or the things of the church or for the conference or with the family or... or... or... But there are times, many times, that I need to "come and listen," to step aside from everything and refocus my attention on God - his presence, his Word, his agenda. I'm too easily distracted, too complacent, too preoccupied, too stubborn, too opinionated. And because of that I often miss God's leading and instruction. 

And I find myself standing on some path that is unfamiliar, alone, unsure of where to turn or what to do... until I stop, drop and listen to God's whisper to my soul.

    

Lord God, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for my lack of attention and my lack of holiness. I'm sorry that, even in my times of silence, I am not silent and listening to you. I want to hear you. I want you to work in my life and ministry. Help me to listen to you and help me to deepen my commitment to you. Thank you for your patience, your forgiveness, and your unending love. Amen.

A Most Unlikely Person

Click here to read Joshua 2.

I remember sitting in youth group one Sunday when I was a teen when this passage of scripture was read for the lesson that was about to be taught. What first caught the attention of a couple of us was verse 1: Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. Instantly someone blurted out, "Joshua, the son of Nun. What a real zero!" And we all laughed. Then there was another, less audible statement made about the spies and where they came from, but I'll leave that one alone.

One Sunday during worship, again when I was a teen, a couple of friends and I were sitting towards the back of the church while a particular passage of scripture was being read from Numbers 22 about Balam. What caught our attention was this verse: And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. One of my friends said, under his breath so only those around him could hear, "How else do you ride a donkey but on your ass!" To which we all laughed silently in our pew, except one of the guys, who had to leave the sanctuary lest he lose control of himself.

I doubt we were being sacrilegious but I'm sure the adults within ear shot weren't very appreciative. But, hey, you put a couple of teenage boys together who are also Christians and you're going to get this kind of stuff, I guess. 

I digressed. Sorry. Back to Joshua 2.

I find this a fascinating chapter, aside from the points that stirred our funny bones. The key person in this story is Rahab, and she is a prostitute. She is the essential ingredient for the safety and success of the two spies that were sent by Joshua into the town. 

She is such an unusual person for God to use, don't you think? I mean, she's not your normal, super-spiritual, amazingly blessed with spiritual gifts, standard person that we would expect God to use to accomplish his will. 

Everything was stacked against her. She wasn't a Jew, she was a Canaanite (the people who were in the land that the Jews were soon to be moving into); she was a woman (they weren't seen as having much value back then); and she was a prostitute (loved by men, despised by women). And yet, her she is, professing her belief in God (news of what God had done had spread like wildfire), and actively working to save the lives of the spies. 

I read somewhere that because of her profession in God and her help with the spies, she became a part of Israel and thus one of God's chosen people.

How strange to use such a person like Rahab, with so many strikes against her. But then again, didn't Jesus reach out to Mary Magdalene, who also was a prostitute, and didn't she become part of his circle of followers? Didn't he choose a bunch of guys who were fisherman, a tax collector (seen as a cheat and a traitor), a political zealot, to name a few? In fact, we see this bazaar, unexpected approach of God, using people that are flawed, broken, sinful, rebellious, and all the other faults and failures we could add - throughout the Bible. The Bible doesn't shy away from showing these people that God uses in all their faults and how God's glory and will was worked out through them. In fact, Rahab shows up in scripture three more times outside of Joshua that I can recall: in the genealogy of  Jesus as found in Matthew 1; in the "Faith Hall of Fame" in Hebrew 11; and in James 2. 

Here's what I learned way back when in our youth group: If God can use a prostitute to accomplish his task, then he could use a most unlikely person like me, right? Me, who often falls short of the mark, who struggles with sin, and who, at times, wrestles with depression and discouragement. Me!

And you! 

The Birds of the Air

I like to sit outside on my porch and have my devotions, do some reading and thinking, and drink my cup(s) of tea. I also like to watch the birds around my house.

We have a bird feeder just a little ways from the back deck and a Hummingbird feeder on the deck, and it's fun and interesting to watch the different types of birds come and go. Green Hummingbirds with a light ring around their neck, deep red Cardinals, Bluejays, bright Yellow finches, Robins, Doves - they, and several other kinds, come and help themselves to the food we provide for them. Occasionally I see hawks or falcons (I'm not sure sometimes) dart through the trees but they've not graced my meal spread yet.

 

There is another bird that hasn't graced my birdfeeder, and I'm thankful for that, but I see them around my area all the time, especially along the side of the road. Vultures. They're big ugly things, and even uglier when you drive past them feasting on some dead carcass. Living in a small town/rural area, I see that quite often.

However, when these Vultures fly, they have a majestic presence about them. (It does help that you can't see their faces when they're in the air.) They just soar, wings outspread, riding the wind across the fields and trees around my house. And you can't help but get an eerie feeling when one flies overhead and casts its shadow on the ground, or across my dog! Watching these birds fly, as ugly as they are up close, is a pretty inspiring thing!

I've heard that the Condor out in the west was almost extinct but has come back, thanks to the efforts of many folks and organizations. They say that these birds can have a wing span of up to 10 feet. Now, watching them in flight would be a majestic site to behold! Check it out by clicking here.

There is another bird in my area, especially around my house, that is even more majestic to watch, especially when compared to these Vultures. I don't know what kind it is but they have earned my greatest respect. They are not much bigger than my hand and they will take on any Vulture at anytime. They will literally chase and attack these big birds. They dart towards the Vultures, almost crashing into them, squeal at them, and I am sure they even peck at them while in flight. And these Vultures? They get going and high tale it out of town. 

I'm sure there's a moral in this story, kind of a "David and Goliath" thing, I suppose. You know what I mean: what's important is using what gifts and talents and abilities we are given and not to give in to our weaknesses or failures or inadequacies. So true, and so often we need to be reminded of this. So take this lesson and apply it where it needs to be applied in your life. However, at the moment, what I get from this is this: you may be big and ugly but that doesn't carry any weight when up against some little creature that is ticked off at you! So get out of their way.