'What do these stones mean to you?'

“When your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 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.” ~Joshua 4:6-7

Nick,

We’ve all been told before to evaluate whether our arguments will matter 20 years from now. I think that we should not only apply this to arguments, but to everyday life. Also, I think that we should look forward several generations, not just 20 years. The Israelites did a much better job of giving importance to this by remembering genealogies. They remembered back several generations and probably thought about how their descendants would think of them. Our modern world, and particularly America, has the thought of, “Let’s get out of the house so we can do whatever we want.” What the Bible tells us to do, however, is to think ahead; to think of what will happen to our great- great- great- great grandchildren as a result of the choices we make right now. Look at the last section of the final sentence above: “…these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.” It does not say, “Tell your children about what these stones mean, so that they know.” It instead says, “Tell your children, so that they cam tell their children and they can tell their children and they cam tell their children and so on forever, so that these works will always be known.” The ultimate purpose of your works being remembered is to show the future generations God’s continuing acts of providence and mercy in your life. Think about how you have been influenced by your ancestors. My great-grandpa was a woodworker and that has inspired me to be one too. My grandpa is a retired surveyor and it was in part because of my trips with him that I want to be an engineer. My dad knows the answer to almost any question and that gas caused me to want to learn as much as possible. Yet be vigilant with what you do, for this is a great blessing, but also a great responsibility. Immerse yourself in the Word, prayer and singing praise to the Lord. The Bible gives examples of our ancestors by whom we are to be encouraged, edified, and cautioned. Biographies tell stories of men and women of faith who by their legacy, shared the Gospel with many. May you also be one of those men who are an inspiration to other believers; teach others by your character and faith. May your children forever rise up and call you blessed!

Your brother in Christ,

Corey