[Thursday's Devotional] - That Which is Unseen...

That Which Is Unseen ….. 

So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down.  Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.  Joshua 4:8-9 [NIV]

On first reading this passage it’s easy to overlook the second monument that Joshua built to the Lord in verse 9.  In many translations it sounds like the same 12 stones collected for the monument on land at Gilgal, to honour God’s faithfulness, but here is the Living Bible translation.

Joshua also built another monument of twelve stones in the middle of the river, at the place where the priests were standing; and it is there to this day. Joshua 4:9

So what about the rock pile in the river? No one could see it but God! I believe it stood as a monument to the faith of the people. When you face a time of trial, others are often guilty of misjudging your motives and actions, however, only God knows the truth about your heart. Even though Israel couldn't see it, they knew the monument was there! They remembered that they had believed God and it had worked. This was a monument in their hearts. Interestingly, in a season of drought when the riverbed dried up, these rocks would be seen.  Especially in times of drought we need to remember the great things God has done.

As I ventured into my ‘ACE’ job hoping to redeem time and a balance in my working life, the opposite happened.  After 6 weeks of working until 7pm (I should have finished at 4pm) having no lunch break and little sleep, I was on the verge of a breakdown and recognised the signs from 16 years ago. Feeling absolutely demoralised (but with a possible understanding for why the previous office team had all left) I stood in church sobbing my heart out. I was drowning, unable to go on, confused as to why God would lead me to such a point. An elderly gentleman approached me and hesitantly asked me a question……“Where did you get your mulberries from?”….. I wept !

He was the Lord’s messenger that day (and I told him so) yet he had no idea of the significance of the question he faithfully asked. In my season of drought God had reminded me of my mulberry pie, my spiritual marker that his promises are true, in the midst of confusion and despair, we are still at that place of promise.

Dawn Milward