What Are These Stones?

Our lives are most often chronicled by birthdays, holidays and anniversaries. They are times that we celebrate and reflect upon as special moments. We call them milestones. But these are not the only milestones that we anticipate or savor in our life’s journey.

As a child, we anticipate the first day of school; loosing our first tooth; learning to ride a bike, and remember with fondness our first boyfriend/girlfriend. As we get older, we look forward to getting our driver’s license, the prom, and high school graduation and have memories of our friends, teachers and big football games in the days of our youth.

The milestones of adulthood include getting that first job; getting married; our children’s births; buying our first house; the big promotion; our children getting married and then grandchildren; death of parents; and retirement. In the midst of life are a host of events and experiences to remember. These milestones mark life.

There are also, spiritual markers for those who are believers in Christ Jesus. In the Old Testament, we read of the people having experiences with God and then building an altar or a monument of stones as a reminder. Abraham, Noah, Jacob, Moses, and the Israelites after they crossed into the promised land left spiritual markers so that they and others would never forget that God was in this place.

Our spiritual markers include experiences such as our receiving Christ as Savior and our baptism; memorized Scriptures; insights gained from God’s word; and times in prayer. Yet, there are more experiences such as taking that step of faith and finding God faithful. Experiencing that unbearably painful experience where you discovered the warmth of God’s comfort. Being overwhelmed with guilt and shame of a sin, only to discover that God really does forgive and sets you free. Being overwhelmed by love that you don’t deserve. Enjoying His presence as you worship. Experiencing the joy of leading someone to Christ. In our hearts God has placed these spiritual markers as reminders of our experience with Him.

We are to remember how God worked in our lives at that moment and use them as encouragement to remain faithful to God throughout our life’s journey.

“What do these stones mean? …He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.” (Joshua 4:24)