Have You Set Up Stones of Remembrance?
Remembering God’s Faithfulness in Everyday Life
There are seasons in life where we only make it through because God shows up. Sometimes it’s loud and unmistakable. Other times it’s quiet faithfulness that carries us day by day. Either way, those moments matter. And if we’re not careful, we forget them faster than we should. Perhaps we should consider putting up some stones of remembrance.
Joshua was leading Israel into the promised land, and God performed a miracle. He stopped the Jordan River so the people could cross on dry ground. Once they were safely across, God told them to stop and mark the moment.
Joshua gathered twelve men, one from each tribe, and told them to carry stones from the middle of the river and stack them as a memorial. Not because God needed the reminder, but because the people would in the years to come.
You can read the full account in Joshua 4:1–7 (ESV)
Those stones were meant to spark conversations. When your children ask, “What do these stones mean?” the story would get told again. God was faithful and He made a way when there was none. And God kept His promise to us.
Why We Forget God’s Faithfulness
When I read that passage, I can’t help but think about how different our rhythm is today. We move through life fast. We celebrate quickly then we move on.
We build monuments for historical moments, public figures, and cultural milestones, but rarely for the ways God has carried us through the challenges of life. We thank Him, sure. We pray and we might even journal. But when the next challenge comes, we panic, often acting like He’s never been faithful before.
Sometimes we convince ourselves it only counts if it’s dramatic. A healed body, a parted river, a visible miracle. But most of God’s faithfulness doesn’t come with fireworks. It shows up as daily bread: Strength when we’re tired, provision we didn’t see coming and peace that doesn’t make sense.
We often don’t recognize at the time, but those moments over time are shaping us just as deeply.
What Stones of Remembrance Can Look Like Today
Setting up stones of remembrance might sound strange in our culture, but the heart behind it still matters. It doesn’t have to be public or impressive. It could be a small pile of rocks on a trail you walk often. A stone on a shelf in your office. A shell on a windowsill. Something ordinary that carries a sacred story.
I’ve found that physical reminders slow me down and pull memory out of my head and into my hands. When I see them, I don’t just remember what God has done, but how I felt when I needed Him and how He met me there.
How to Create Your Own Stones of Remembrance
Before you grab anything tangible, pause and look back. Think through the past year. The weight you carried, the prayers you whispered and the moments you weren’t sure you’d make it through.
Then ask yourself a few simple questions.
- Where did God meet me in a hard season?
- What did He give me strength to finish?
- What provision showed up at just the right time?
- What experience reminded me He was near?
Write those answers down and don’t rush it. Then choose something small and set it aside as a reminder. Place a marker of God’s faithfulness. Then every time you see it, let it tell the story again.
Why This Matters for the Long Run
The stones Joshua set up didn’t just help him remember. They helped future generations know who God was. That’s the quiet power of remembrance. It shapes our trust today and our witness tomorrow.
When we remember what God has already done, we face what’s ahead with steadier hearts. We stop living like every challenge is the first one He’s ever handled. And that changes how we walk forward together.
Join the Conversation; Answer This Question
- What moment in your life needs a stone of remembrance so you don’t forget what God carried you through?
1 Samuel 7:12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
I learned this story from a close friend and now I have my own “Ebenezer” rock in my kitchen window and when I see it it makes me remember that so far the Lord HAS helped me and that He will continue to do so! We need to have these reminders, because so often it is so easy to just look at the difficult circumstances of our life and forget about everything that God has already done for us! Just like the Israelites we forget and we need these reminders.
Awesome blog!
I like the phrase, “when your children ask you.” Our lives are a testimony to the next generation. We can create visuals to make our kids ask, “What's that for?”
We try so hard to convince adults to change their minds toward a correct path; when we should focus more time on training our kids in the right direction to begin with. These “stones of remembrance” can be a great tool to solidify the training. Thank you so much for your support and insightful comments! – Jeremy