Remember

REMEMBER

          Memorial Day Sunday, Greg Ralston, reminded us what Pastor Nass told us last week. That the word remembering literally means to reassemble. To put  back together, as if putting the pieces of a puzzle in place. I LOVE that image!

          We celebrate Memorial Day to remember those who have died in battle for us. They deserve this honor for their sacrifice. At this time of remembering, Greg, pointed out another purpose for building monuments.

          Greg spoke on two passages. The first one was 1 Samuel 7:1-12. 

            Here are verses 10-12 : ¹⁰ While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered^(U) with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic^(V) that they were routed before the Israelites. ¹¹ The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.

            ¹² Then Samuel took a stone^(W) and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,^[b](X) saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

          So far, so good. Yes, God has helped us up to this point. To me this says, "And why wouldn't He continue to help?" If you have experienced God's power, peace, or forgiveness before why not believe Him now? Don't lose faith at this point when you've seen him do so much for you. Building a monument in some form, writing, art, or a stone on the desk can be a way of reminding yourself of what God has already done in your life.

          The second passage was when God told Joshua to take stones from the middle of the Jordan river to build an altar.

            Joshua 4:4-9 ⁴ So Joshua called together the twelve men^(A) he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, ⁵ and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan.^(B) Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites,⁶ to serve as a sign^(C) among you. In the future, when your children^(D) ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’^(E) 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off^(F) 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^(G) to the people of Israel forever.”

           

            We can also make a memorial as a way to pass on our own experiences to the next generation. How smart God was to have them build these stones to keep the message alive.                               Greg suggested we do this. This drawing is my memorial. On each stone I have written a note to myself to remind me of a time when God kept me safe, answered a desperate prayer,  or revealed His presence to me in a profound way.