Monuments of Mass Destruction!

Monuments of Mass Destruction!

Joshua 4:5-7

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁵ and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, ⁶ that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stonesmean to you?’ ⁷ 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.”

Recently my son was reprimanded for attempting to bite someone. Afterward, his mother read a book to him about biting and why we have teeth. Well, I guess her efforts were very effective. As she read the book about biting, every time she read the word bite or pointed to teeth, he broke out crying...

In Houston, there were several significant monuments that sat right off a major highway created by Artist David Adickes. They were giant busts to honor several of our United States Presidents. The monuments were awe-inspiring. They symbolized leadership, greatness, accomplishment, and power! I especially liked the giant bust of current President Barack Obama.  

I believe it is a commendable to create massive edifices to cheer our great deeds. We are excellent at celebrating good deeds. Nonetheless, sometimes we build, collect, or gather monuments to commemorate our downfalls as well. Although they may not be the 60 feet stone or marble type, they are items that remind us of mass destruction. 

What about the gift that reminds you of a bad breakup? What about the dusty garment that reminds you of your glory days? What about those items that detail a tough point in your life? As much as you want to erase the past you are holding on to the evidence.

I understand what it means to remember where you have come from - but let's stop building or maintaining these "objects" of mass destruction. GET RID OF THEM!!!

Joshua told the tribes to grab a stone and build a monument to not only signify what God had done for them but also to serve as a reminder and testament to their children for generations to come. Not only do our monuments remind us of our circumstances/accomplishments, they also teach our children how to record and remember circumstances/accomplishments in their lives!

Put your efforts into praising God for who you have become and where He is taking you. Create reminders of His faithfulness. We don't worship objects - We worship a living God who is CONSTANTLY & CONSISTENTLY at work in our lives!