After the Israelites cross the Jordan River, Joshua gives orders for them to set up an enduring memorial. The memorial, made up of 12 stones taken from the middle of the river, stands witness on the Jordan's western bank. No one can dispute what it means. A great miracle had taken place!

As we saw in the previous reading, the Lord God can do anything, even the humanly impossible. Joshua had believed in God's power unflinchingly; in turn, the Lord had promised to exalt him (Joshua 3:7). We see the fulfilment of that promise today: ″That day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him all the days of his life, just as they had stood in awe of Moses″ (4:14).

We must not make the mistake, however, of thinking that this book of the Bible is focusing on exalting Joshua (3:7; 4:14; 6:27). Instead, it is about exalting the Lord God and giving Him the glory, including through the use of memorial stones. Their purpose was to remind future generations about specific things God did for Israel (4:21-22).

The use of memorial stones recognised the need to keep remembering what the Lord God had done, and to keep giving Him honour, glory, and praise. Modern-day examples of ″memorial stones″ might include plaques by ponds and trees, as well as outdoor and indoor artwork. These plaques tell us the story behind the objects at hand, or who they have been dedicated to. They are not designed to tell everything; instead, they are meant to provoke questions so that we can tell others what the Lord God has done and invite them to join us in honouring and praising Him.

Imagine being in Joshua's shoes . . . trying to step into Moses' shoes. Each miracle by the Lord God reminds him to rely on God's power, not his own. The same principle is true today. If God calls you, He will enable you, even if it means stepping into big shoes. And let's find ways to commemorate the things that God has done through us so that those who come after us will continue to give God the glory.