Joshua 4

Stones that Speak

Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ ~ Joshua 4:21

What if the moments you are walking through right now are meant to speak long after you have moved on from them? Not just for you, but for someone else who will one day need proof that God still moves, still provides, and still makes a way.

Today’s scripture reading shows us a powerful picture. God had just brought His people through the Jordan River on dry ground, something that seemed impossible just a few moments before. But instead of rushing ahead into the promise, God told them to stop and build a memorial with twelve stones. Why? He knew that because of their human nature there would be days when they would forget what He had done. He also knew there would be future generations who needed a visible reminder that God was faithful and always would be faithful.

We are no different today. Life moves fast. Answers come, prayers are fulfilled, and before we know it, we are on to the next challenge and the next request to our heavenly Father. But He is still calling us to remember what He brought us through in the past.

Before we move forward, let’s look at what these stones mean for us today.

1. Remember what God has already done

It is easy to focus on what is not happening yet and forget what we have already come through. The Israelites could have quickly celebrated and moved on, but God instructed them to pause and remember.

In your daily life, this might look like writing down answered prayers, keeping a journal, or even pausing during your day to thank God for something specific He has done. Maybe you once prayed for peace in your home, and now there is calm where there used to be tension. Maybe you were once worried about provision, and God came through in a way you did not expect. When new challenges come, those memories become your strength. Instead of saying, “Will God come through,” you begin to say, “God has done it before, and I know He will do it again.”

2. Let your story become someone else’s encouragement

God did not tell them to build the stones just for themselves. He said their children would ask about them. Their testimony would become a teaching tool and a message of God’s faithfulness to coming generations.

In today’s world, people are searching for something real. They do not need perfect people, they need honest stories. When you share how God carried you through a hard season, it gives someone else hope. Maybe a friend is struggling with fear, and you share how God helped you overcome anxiety. Maybe someone feels alone, and you remind them how God met you in your lowest moment. Your story and your testimonies are often the very thing that helps someone else keep going.

3. Build reminders in the middle of your breakthrough

The stones were gathered from the middle of the Jordan, the very place where God made a way. That detail matters. They did not wait until everything was completely settled, they marked the moment right there.

Sometimes we wait until everything is perfect before we acknowledge God’s hand, but there is power in recognizing Him right in the middle of your struggle. Maybe you are not fully through your situation yet, but you can already see God moving. You can say, “This is hard, but God is sustaining and helping me.” You can celebrate small victories. You can thank Him for progress. Those moments become anchors for your faith when the road feels long.

Many of the circumstances that I live in every day are a testimony of God’s faithfulness. There was a time in my life when I carried so much fear, especially as a single mother. I worried about how I would provide, how I would protect my children, and whether I would have the strength to step into something new when God was calling me forward. Those were not easy days. There were moments when I questioned if I had what it took, and moments when the unknown felt overwhelming. But as I began to follow His direction and trust His plan, one step at a time, I started to see Him show up in ways I never expected.

Each new step became a marker. Doors opened that I couldn’t have opened on my own. Provision came right when it was needed most, not always early, but never late. Peace would settle in during moments that should have been filled with anxiety. Strength would come when I felt like I had none left to give. From my blessed marriage to my blended family, even my ministry employment and the very home I live in, these are not just parts of my life, they are living reminders of God’s hand on every detail. My children and grandchildren can now see through my life and my surroundings a living example of what it means to trust God and walk in His faithfulness.

These markers have become memorial stones for me and those around me. They represent the prayers I cried out, the direction I received from the Holy Spirit, and the faith it took to keep moving forward when I could not see the full picture. Looking back now, I can clearly see that God was leading every step, even when I didn’t recognize it in the moment. Because He has proven Himself faithful in the hard times, I carry a deeper trust in Him today for my current struggles. I know that whatever I face, He will continue to lead, provide, and make a way.

Today I want to encourage you to start building your stones. Do not rush past what God is doing in your life right now. Take notice. Remember the prayers He has answered. Share your story with someone who needs hope. Mark the moments where He has made a way, even if you are still walking it out. The same God who parted the Jordan is working in your life, and your testimony will speak not only to you, but also to others who need to know that He is still faithful.

Today’s scripture reading: Joshua 4

1 And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying: 

2 “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, 

3 and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’ ”

4 Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; 

5 and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, 

6 that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 

7 Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”

8 And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the Lord had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. 

9 Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day.

10 So the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and crossed over. 

11 Then it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over, that the ark of the Lord and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people. 

12 And the men of Reuben, the men of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them. 

13 About forty thousand prepared for war crossed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho. 

14 On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.

15 Then the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, 

16 “Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.” 

17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.” 

18 And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord had come from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet touched the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before.

19 Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. 

20 And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. 

21 Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ 

22 then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’; 

23 for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, 

24 that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”

Journal:

• What are three specific things God has done in my life that I do not want to forget
• How can I intentionally remind myself of God’s faithfulness during difficult moments
• Who in my life needs to hear part of my story, and how can I share it with them