Rocks of Remembrance for 2010

Often I forget what God has done for me. When things don’t seem to be turning out as I request in prayer, I wonder if God is listening, overlooking the many times he has intervened with his faithful answers to prayer (frequently solutions that differ from mine). When facing a trial I lose hope and begin to worry, failing to focus on the grace and mercy that God has poured out in my life during previous tough times. God suggests a memory aid--rocks! 

Moses gave Israel stern warnings about this tendency to forget God. His concern was that they would become proud through prosperity and security in the land and ignore their need for God (Deut. 8:14). To avert this, they created physical mementos of his provision. One such token was a pile of stones built near the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River (Josh.  4:1-7).

I keep a small rock from the study of Joshua 4 as a physical reminder of God’s movement in my life. When circumstances get hard and God seems far away or when life grows too easy and God seems unnecessary, the stone elicits memories of his activity and power. It rests on my bathtub so that when I experience a hot, relaxing bath, I also enjoy peace in recalling God’s faithfulness.

I plan to spend some time this week looking back on 2010 and the ways that God has proven himself to me this year, and I hope to get a second rock for those memories.

Join me this week in prayerfully reflecting back on this year and the specific ways that God has been at work. Find a physical token of his power or faithfulness to help you remember God and his goodness to you as you face what comes in 2011.