Building Community Through Trials
"When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord." - Joshua 4:6-7
The book of Joshua is a powerful story of God’s people moving from oppression to freedom, from wandering to a promised future. After enduring the cruelty of slavery and years of hardship, the Israelites were finally crossing the Jordan River into the land God had promised them. And God gave them a command that carried deep significance.
He instructed Joshua to have a man from each of the twelve tribes take a stone from the Jordan River and set it down where they would camp on the other side. These stones weren’t just rocks. They were reminders. They were meant to be signs for future generations to see and remember what God had brought them through. It was God’s way of making sure His people didn’t forget how they made it over.
This act of remembrance wasn’t just about looking back. It was about building a community rooted in faith and resilience. A community that would carry the story of God’s faithfulness forward.
None of us make it through life’s hardest battles alone. We need each other. And we need to remember the faithfulness of God that has carried His people through generation after generation.
If you feel like you’re facing impossible challenges right now, take a moment to remember what God has already brought you through. Remember the people who supported you, encouraged you, and walked beside you when life felt impossible. And don’t keep those memories to yourself. Share them.
Just like the Israelites, we’re called to form community in the face of division. To build each other up and point each other to the God who never fails. Your story matters, and your testimony can be the very thing that helps someone else make it through their own struggle.
The book of Joshua is a powerful story of God’s people moving from oppression to freedom, from wandering to a promised future. After enduring the cruelty of slavery and years of hardship, the Israelites were finally crossing the Jordan River into the land God had promised them. And God gave them a command that carried deep significance.
He instructed Joshua to have a man from each of the twelve tribes take a stone from the Jordan River and set it down where they would camp on the other side. These stones weren’t just rocks. They were reminders. They were meant to be signs for future generations to see and remember what God had brought them through. It was God’s way of making sure His people didn’t forget how they made it over.
This act of remembrance wasn’t just about looking back. It was about building a community rooted in faith and resilience. A community that would carry the story of God’s faithfulness forward.
None of us make it through life’s hardest battles alone. We need each other. And we need to remember the faithfulness of God that has carried His people through generation after generation.
If you feel like you’re facing impossible challenges right now, take a moment to remember what God has already brought you through. Remember the people who supported you, encouraged you, and walked beside you when life felt impossible. And don’t keep those memories to yourself. Share them.
Just like the Israelites, we’re called to form community in the face of division. To build each other up and point each other to the God who never fails. Your story matters, and your testimony can be the very thing that helps someone else make it through their own struggle.
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