There are numerous accounts in the Old Testament in which the Israelites set up memorials when God came through for them in a big way. One of my favorites was after the crossing of the Jordan River into the Promised Land. God told Joshua that He would cut off the water of the Jordan so the people could walk across on dry land just as they did when crossing through the Red Sea 40 years before. However, this time, the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant holding the Ten Commandments had to first step into the river at flood stage before the water would be cut off. Imagine it! The water is high and rushing by in front of them. There is no account of the priests questioning Joshua. Was it the confidence in his voice that convinced them or did they recall the stories that were told to them about the Red Sea? We don’t know, but as soon as their feet touched the water, the raging river was held back. They had to step into what appeared to be sure disaster before God acted.
I don’t recall ever having any circumstance quite as dramatic as this. But it gives me confidence to move forward into questionable situations if at first I look back over my history with Him. Over and over, God has come through for me just in the nick of time. When I felt I could not go on in a toxic work environment, a job opportunity suddenly presented itself. Money came from a source I didn’t expect (several times) right before a big bill was due. Just recently, I was concerned about my son, Garrett, traveling from Knoxville to Dayton during what was predicted to be several inches of snow. Dayton Ohio is only about an hour east of us and it was already snowing heavily in Indianapolis. I nervously looked at the weather map on my phone. I could see that there was rain to the west and south of Garrett’s route and snow to the north of Dayton. The inclement weather formed a large “C” with a clear spot in the center just where he was driving. The coincidence was not lost on me. In that moment, the Lord spoke to my heart: “Trust me. I have protected Garrett his whole life and I am protecting him now.” Even in the small things, He comes through in big ways.
Reviewing my faith history is like setting up a memorial to all God has done in my life. After the Israelites all crossed the Jordan, God instructed them to take 12 stones from the center of the river to set up as a sign in the spot where they were camping on the other side. When their children asked in the future, “What do these stones mean?”, they were to tell them the story of how the Jordan River was stopped by God so they could cross on dry land.
I don’t have stones set up to remind me of God’s wonders but I have stories that I store in my heart. Sometimes I find myself reluctant to tell them for fear that people will think I’m crazy. Will they think that what I attribute to God is just a happenstance? Maybe they will, but I choose to say instead that they are “God coincidences.” All the times that He has come through for me, show me that He is truly with me in every circumstance. My past experiences enable me to trust Him with my future. If He ever asks me to step out into raging water, I have confidence that He will somehow give me the means to cross to the other side.
