DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR SUNDAY, JANUARY 7, 2018
Heavenly Father, help us to respond in faith when
we face struggle, and bring to our minds the signs of your
never-failing goodness to us. Amen.
Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan . . . and they are there to this day. (Joshua 4:9 (NRSV))
Several years ago, my husband and I felt content with our lives. We had five young children, a beautiful home, and were both working at jobs we loved. We thanked God regularly for all the good things in our lives. Then my husband was laid off. This news felt like being punched in the gut. We lost our home and many of our other earthly belongings. Nearly all of our savings had to be used for moving expenses.
I grew up knowing that when trials come, I need to rely more strongly on my faith. So in this struggle I tried to remember that I serve a God who has never let me down. I made a list of all the ways God had come through for my family and me. The blessings seemed endless.
When Joshua placed those 12 stones in the Jordan, they were to serve as a reminder that at one time the ground was dry. God’s power provided a dry ground in the middle of a raging river so Joshua could lead the Israelites through to God’s future. After everyone had crossed, and Joshua had set up the pile of 12 stones, the waters crashed in covering all evidence of their passage. But the stones remained as a solid reminder of God’s helping the Israelites. This story can give us hope and courage to trust God to present new possibilities when our path seems impossible.
TODAY'S PRAYER:
Several years ago, my husband and I felt content with our lives. We had five young children, a beautiful home, and were both working at jobs we loved. We thanked God regularly for all the good things in our lives. Then my husband was laid off. This news felt like being punched in the gut. We lost our home and many of our other earthly belongings. Nearly all of our savings had to be used for moving expenses.
I grew up knowing that when trials come, I need to rely more strongly on my faith. So in this struggle I tried to remember that I serve a God who has never let me down. I made a list of all the ways God had come through for my family and me. The blessings seemed endless.
When Joshua placed those 12 stones in the Jordan, they were to serve as a reminder that at one time the ground was dry. God’s power provided a dry ground in the middle of a raging river so Joshua could lead the Israelites through to God’s future. After everyone had crossed, and Joshua had set up the pile of 12 stones, the waters crashed in covering all evidence of their passage. But the stones remained as a solid reminder of God’s helping the Israelites. This story can give us hope and courage to trust God to present new possibilities when our path seems impossible.
TODAY'S PRAYER:
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Joshua 4:1 After the whole nation had finished crossing the Yarden, Adonai said to Y’hoshua, 2 “Take for yourselves from the people twelve men, a man from every tribe; 3 and give them this order: ‘Take twelve stones from the middle of the Yarden riverbed, where the cohanim are standing, carry them over with you and set them down in the place where you will camp tonight.’” 4 Y’hoshua called the twelve men whom he had chosen from the people of Isra’el, a man from every tribe, 5 and said to them, “Go on ahead of the ark of Adonai your God into the riverbed of the Yarden. Then, each of you take a stone on his shoulder, corresponding to the number of tribes of the people of Isra’el. 6 This will be a sign for you. In the future, when your children ask, ‘What do you mean by these stones?’ 7 you will answer them, ‘It’s because the water in the Yarden was cut off before the ark for the covenant of Adonai; when it crossed the Yarden, the water in the Yarden was cut off; and these stones are to be a reminder for the people of Isra’el forever.’”
8 The people of Isra’el did just as Y’hoshua had ordered. They took twelve stones out of the Yarden riverbed, as Adonai had said to Y’hoshua, corresponding to the number of the tribes of the people of Isra’el, carried them over with them to the place where they were camping, and set them down there. 9 Y’hoshua also set up twelve stones in the Yarden River itself, in the place where the feet of the cohanim carrying the ark for the covenant had stood. They are there to this day.
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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Even in difficult times, I will remember God’s faithfulness.
PRAYER FOCUS:
Families in turmoil from job loss
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8 The people of Isra’el did just as Y’hoshua had ordered. They took twelve stones out of the Yarden riverbed, as Adonai had said to Y’hoshua, corresponding to the number of the tribes of the people of Isra’el, carried them over with them to the place where they were camping, and set them down there. 9 Y’hoshua also set up twelve stones in the Yarden River itself, in the place where the feet of the cohanim carrying the ark for the covenant had stood. They are there to this day.
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Even in difficult times, I will remember God’s faithfulness.
Families in turmoil from job loss
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Header Photo Credit: "Harvested Land," Beth Shumate. August 15, 2014. (link)
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