Joshua 4:1-24 - The Witness of Faith

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."   In Joshua 3, we learned that before the people of Israel could experience the miracle of crossing the Jordan River into the Promise Land, they had to receive the “Word of Faith”, a message from God through His servant Joshua, that gave them specific instructions on what to do. Then they had to trust and obey that message by taking the “Walk of Faith”, that first step into the Jordan River to see the mighty hand of God part the waters and dry up the waterbed so they could walk across on dry land to the other side.   The Lord was in control of all the activities at the Jordan River that day. He told the priests when to enter the river and when to leave and go to the other side. He told the water when to roll back and when to return. Both the water and the people obeyed Him, and everything worked out as God planned. It was a day that glorified the Lord and magnified His servant Joshua (Joshua 4:14).   Now in Joshua 4, we read about the “Witness of Faith”. Two heaps of stones were set up as memorials of Israel's crossing of the Jordan River: twelve stones at Gilgal (vv. 1-8,10-24), and twelve stones in the midst of the river (v. 9). They were witnesses that God honors faith and works on behalf of those who trust Him.   This heap of twelve stones was a reminder of what God did for His people. The Jews were great believers in teaching the next generation about Jehovah and His special relationship to the people of Israel (Joshua 4:6, 21; Ex. 12:26; 13:14; Deut. 6:20; see Pss. 34:11-16; 71:17-18; 78:1-7; 79:13; 89:1; 102:18). To an unbeliever, the heap of twelve stones was simply another stone pile; but to a believing Israelite, it was a constant reminder that Jehovah was his or her God, working His wonders on behalf of His people.   But also note that Joshua put an obligation on the Jews to fear the Lord and bear witness of Him to the whole world (Josh. 4:24). The God who can open the river is the God everybody ought to fear, love, and obey! Israel needed to tell the other nations about Him and invite them to trust Him too. The God of Israel cares for His people, keeps His promises, goes before them in victory, and never fails. What a witness to give to the world!   Today, we have the Word of God that reveals to us the will of God for our lives. If we trust and obey His Word, we will walk by faith and experience God’s marvelous miracles in our lives! But these miracles are not just for us but should be a witness for our children, grandchildren, and for generations to come. How do we leave a witness today?   Every Sunday when we go to church should be a witness and reminder to our family, friends, and the world around us that we believe Jesus died for us, was buried and rose again the third day! He is alive and still able to save us from our sins and set us free! Every time each week as we give our tithes and offerings it is a witness to our faith that we believe that it is God who gives us power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:17-18), to purchase food, clothing, and shelter for our families. Every time we bow our head and pray for our meals before we eat is a witness to our faith that it is God who provided it for us!   Today, are you leaving a “Witness of Faith” for your family, friends, and the world around you? “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." (v. 24).   God bless!