If you were one of those boys or girls who crossed the Jordan River, do you think you would ever forget about such a great miracle? It was such an unforgettable event. The instant the feet of the priests who were carrying the ark entered the river, the waters of the river stood up in a heap and the path was dry. The moment all the people had crossed over to the other side, the water rushed back and overflowed the banks of the river.

But God knows how easily we can forget things and he knew how easily the Israelites could forget as well. However, they were not allowed to forget the Lord’s care in bringing them across the Jordan River. So, one man from every tribe had to take a stone from the river and bring it to the place where they slept to make a memorial. This memorial would always remind them of the Lord’s care over them and his grace in bringing them into the Promised Land.

There are things that we cannot forget either, things that we must always remember. We may never forget the goodness and grace of God, the love and care he shows in our lives. We must never forget the God who created us. We must never forget God’s grace in sending his Son to earth to die for us, so that we can enter the eternal Promised Land. We must never forget the work of the Holy Spirit who changes us and helps us serve God.

We , just like the Israelites, might think that we wouldn’t ever forget about the Lord’s miracle of saving us. We’ll always remember that Jesus died for us. But we can be forgetful as well, and that’s why God gave us a memorial too. No, we don’t have a pile of twelve stones to look at to remember the work of God, but we do have the Bible. The Bible records all the great deeds of our God and so we must look at, read and study the Bible every day!

Reflection with your child:

Why did God tell the Israelites to make the memorial?

Source: Sermon by Rev. R. Vermeulen