JOSHUA 4:1-3
And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the LORD
spoke to Joshua, saying: 'Take for your­ selves twelve men from the people, one man from every
tribe, and command them, saying, Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst
of the Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with
you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.'"
The memory capacity of an ordinary human mind is astonishing. You may not consider yourself
particularly good at remembering technical data, but think about how many faces you can
recognize or how many names you can recall.
Consider also how you are able to remember some past incident or how many words you can
spell and define. Someone has estimated that in a lifetime, a brain can store one million billion
"bits" of information. Yet how easy it is to forget the marvelous things that God does for us.
For that reason God commanded Joshua to select 12 men, one from each tribe, to pick up a stone
from the dry riverbed and carry it to where they would lodge. These 12 stones became a
reminder to the people of the miracle that the Lord performed for them.
But this memorial was not for them alone. Joshua instructed the people, "When your children ask
their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?' then you shall let your children
know, saying, 'Israel crossed over;' this Jordan on dry land'" (4:21-22). These stones became a

family memorial.
It's important for every family to have, reminders of what the Lord has done for them. Perhaps
you could keep a journal of blessings in your life. A friend of mine has a photo album that helps
her and her family remember the Lord's goodness.
However you choose to do it, just do it today to build a family memorial to the Lord, Your
grandchildren and great grandchildren will thank you.
A FAMILY THAT REMEMBERS THE LORD WILL BE BLESSED FOREVER.
WOODROW KROLL
www.backtothebible.in