Tell the Story

"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."

Joshua 4:6b-7

Osmosis is the process by which molecules of a liquid pass through a semi-permeable membrane from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated one.  The result?  Equal concentration on both sides of the membrane.  This process is spontaneous and requires no input of energy.

While this process is useful in science, it doesn't work when it comes to relationships.  Sometimes, I tend to think that just because someone spends time with me, they know what I know, perhaps by osmosis.  Instead of making the effort to tell the story of how God has worked in my life, I assume they already know.  This is especially true for my children.

The truth is, however, osmosis is only possible in biology and chemistry, not in relationships!  Therefore, it is important that I intentionally and purposefully work to leave a legacy.  Just as Joshua was called to set up a lasting memorial that would initiate conversations about the greatness of the Lord and His mighty works in the lives of His people, I must do the same.  God has called me to tell the story of His power at work in my life.

Stones of Remembrance

The journal rests on my nightstand beside the bed.  Each night I record what God has done in my life.  Sometimes, it's an answered prayer.  Other times, it's an unexpected blessing.  Many times it's the little ways He cares for me.  When I'm feeling discouraged, I can pick up that Stones of Remembrance Journal and flip through the pages, reminding myself of the mighty acts of the Lord that I have witnessed in my life.  Before long, my heart soars as I see with my own eyes what God has done, giving me hope to believe I'll witness the same tomorrow.

Life can be hard and my memory is so fleeting.  While difficulties easily overwhelm me, God's provision, care and protection often escape my consciousness.  Since my fleshly mind tends to focus on the negative, I must make the effort to refocus my thought pattern, training my mind to think about what God can do instead of what I can't.

Unfortunately, I am not wired for positive thinking.  Instead, I'm naturally inclined to fear, anticipating the worst scenario that could happen for every situation.  God knows my fondness for fear.  He knows me better than I know myself.  Since He understands the way I'm wired, He has left a message for me in the pages of His Word.  If I'm paying attention, I'll heed the warning and take the advice given.

In the same way that the people of Israel needed a lasting memorial to trigger their memory of the greatness of God, I need the same.  I won't naturally keep the Lord's power and sovereignty in mind when I've been diagnosed with the unthinkable, or am plagued with excruciating pain, or feel like I could die of a broken heart.  No, I must build my own memorial designed to prompt thoughts of God's great plan for my life that will spur on my faith in times of trouble.

If I want to leave a lasting legacy of God's goodness for others to see, I must set up my own stones of remembrance memorial.

Eyes of Faith

I couldn't believe we were looking at the same thing.  Where I saw an old, decrepit piece of junk, my husband saw a treasure that needed to be saved.  Not surprisingly, I was ready to set the old boom box out at the curb for trash pickup but my beloved wanted to hang onto the stereo like some kind of prize.  What does he see that I'm missing? I thought.

As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  What one may see as a field of beautiful wildflowers, another sees as a pasture full of weeds.  We perceive according to what is important to us.

Therefore, if I want to notice all the good that God is doing in my life, I must put on eyes of faith.  Moses used his eyes of faith when he fled Egypt, believing that God had gone before him even though He couldn't be seen with the naked eye.  (Hebrews 11:27)  

Abraham also looked through eyes of faith as he raised the knife above his one and only son, believing God would somehow preserve the life of the one through whom the promise would come.  (Hebrews 11:17-19)

Another man who chose to see through eyes of faith was Noah.  He believed in God enough to build a huge sea-going vessel in the midst of dry land.  (Hebrews 11:7)  Noah's view of God's sovereignty was greater than any doubt he may have felt at such an odd command.

Today is the day for me to utilize my eyes of faith, choosing to look for evidence of God's work in my life.  In this way I will leave a type of memorial which can hearten those whose faith has grown dim.

If I want to leave a lasting legacy of God's goodness for others to see, I will need to look at the world around me through eyes of faith.

Quick to Tell

Once I've set up some kind of memory-trigger to remind myself of God's amazing deeds and have donned my eyes of faith, I'm equipped to give testimony to His greatness.  While I may naturally talk about all that is difficult in my life, I can learn to share what I've discovered about God and His goodness through my observations.  This kind of story-telling will work to spur on the faith of those who are listening.

Once I commit to telling this kind of story, I will find that my lips will often speak of God's amazing grace.  Words that give testimony to His great love for His people will easily spill from my mouth.  Testimonies of His provision and protection will spring forth from my heart and mind, making their way to the ears of others.

I will find that once I get on a roll, it will be hard for me to talk about anything without including words of praise for God and His goodness.  It will become habit for me to speak of His kindness and care.  Soon, others will catch on that the Lord is worthy to be praised and may start telling their own stories of faith.  Before I know it, there will be legacies of God's greatness left all around.

If I want to leave a lasting legacy of God's goodness for others to see, I must be quick to tell the story of God's work in my life.

Everyone has a story to tell.  The only question is what kind of a tale will I be passing on?  If I keep some kind of memorial to God's great works in my life, intentionally look for how God is at work and am quick to tell of His greatness, that story will be one that glorifies God.  If I assume that my children and those around me will know of these testimonies through osmosis, I'm only fooling myself.  Therefore, let today be the day I tell the tale of God's amazing deeds so everyone will know that He is the Lord my God!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can look for evidence of God's love all around me.

When do I tend to pay more attention to what is difficult than on how God is using the hard circumstances for my good?

How am I quick to gossip or complain instead of telling my latest testimony?  


Originally published on February 20, 2014

Remember, and Fight

"I looked [them over] and rose up

and said to the nobles and officials and the other people,

Do not be afraid of the enemy;

[earnestly] remember the Lord

and imprint Him [on your minds],

great and terrible,

and [take from Him courage to] fight for your brethren,

your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes."

Nehemiah 4:14 AMP

They could have given up, conceding defeat and forgetting the mission at hand.  Instead, Nehemiah encouraged the people to not fear what threatened to overtake them, to remember the might of their God, and to fight for what was important.

I, too, could give up in the face of overwhelming odds, when darkness threatens to crush, or when I feel all alone.  Instead, let me realize the importance of my mission as an Ambassador of Christ.  May I let the love of Jesus drive out the fear that looms, remember the might of my God, and stand up and fight.

Fear.  Economic disaster.  Plague.  Divorce.  Terrorism.  Homelessness.  Cancer.  Catastrophic Injury.   Growing old.  Death.  I could go on forever.  There is so much in this world that I could fear.  The images that flash across the screen during the nightly news are enough to seize my heart and mind with terror.  What if that happens here?  What if my family is effected?  What if the same thing happens to me?

In reality, I am secure in the hands of a God who loves me perfectly.  While this world is filled with uncertainties, of this I can be sure:  I can never lose His love for me, go where He is not, or be taken away from what has been secured by the blood of Jesus (Romans 8:38-39, Psalm 139:7-12, Hebrews 9:11-12)  Therefore, I really have nothing to fear (Psalm 46:1-3).  No matter what happens, I've got the God of all creation hemming me in (Psalm 139:5)!

Keeping the one true God front and center of my perspective drives out fear.

Remember.  There were a lot of miraculous events to recall.  The people of Israel had witnessed God perform many mighty acts of provision, protection and deliverance.  God, however, knew what was in the heart of man; how easy it is for his people to forget.

Therefore, He established a memorial that would help future generations remember the greatness of their God.  Each tribe was appointed one representative to remove a stone from the middle of the Jordan River while God was holding back its flow, placing them as a reminder of what God had done for them (Joshua 4).

I, too, can set up a type of "stones of remembrance," giving myself a method in which to remind myself of God's greatness.  One way is to read His Word daily, immersing myself in the accounts of those who witnessed His mighty deeds.  Another is to create a journal where I record all the ways He has shown up in my own life.  Taking the time to read through it, especially during times of hardship or despair, can help to remind me of all that He has done for me.

Reminding myself of who God is and all that He has done is an important habit to maintain.

Fight.  The video disturbed me as I watched people callously drive past the elderly man laying in the middle of the busy road.  He had just been struck by a car while attempting to cross the street, but not one person stopped to help.  Another showed a woman suffering a heart attack in the waiting room of a mental hospital.  Even an orderly ignored her obvious need for help.

There is no doubt I live in a cold, uncaring world where each is concerned with their own welfare, safety and provision but rarely look out for their fellow man.  Living in such a place, it would be easy for me to follow suit.  Instead, I am called to a higher standard where God's love rules.  As a follower of Jesus Christ, His love flows through my veins.  It is my purpose to allow that compassion and kindness to spill over into the world around me.  Instead of hording it for myself, love is meant to be shared (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

Therefore I must fight to repel coldheartedness since it comes so naturally to my flesh (1 Corinthians 16:13-14).  I also must stand firm in the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, battling against my tendency to earn what has been freely given (Galatians 5:1). Furthermore, I cannot just roll over and accept the creeping darkness, but join in the fight to stand up for what is right and true (1 Timothy 1:18-19, Titus 1:9).

It is necessary to fight against the powers of this dark world using the weapons of warfare God has given to me (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

I have a mission to be salt and light in a world that is rotting and dark.  With such a purpose, I have many enemies, and one in particular, who oppose me.  Therefore, it is important that I resist the fear that threatens and remember the might of my God.  Instead of giving in to the threat, then, I can stand up and fight!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can remember the might of my God, especially when the darkness seems so strong.

How do I feel overwhelmed with fear when observing current events?

How can I remind myself of God's power over such events and that He is always bigger than my greatest fear?