Deuteronomy 27:2–3: “And it shall be, on the day when you cross over the Jordan to the land which the LORD your God is giving you, that you shall set up for yourselves large stones, and whitewash them with lime. You shall write on them all the words of this law, when you have crossed over, that you may enter the land which the LORD your God is giving you, ‘a land flowing with milk and honey,’ just as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you.”

March 14th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

The Israelites were coming to the end of a very long journey. For 40 years they had been tested, made to wander through the wilderness because of their unbelief, but those wanderings were almost over. The Promised Land was in sight for the second time, and they were again at a crossroads of life. They had to choose whether they would be obedient and follow God or turn and follow their own plans. The LORD commanded them to pause and make a place of worship by the River Jordan, probably because they had a choice to make. They were to gather stones and use them to build an altar to worship God.

The New Testament tells us that we can learn from what happened to the Israelites. So what are we to make of these stones they wrote scripture on and used to build an altar? Could the stones have represented each of the difficult times of testing they had experienced in the wilderness? Perhaps before they could experience the blessings of the Promised Land, they had to remember some of the lessons from the past. Trials and battles awaited them in the Promised Land, but they had already been through many trials and battles during their 40-year-long trek through the wilderness.

We have all faced difficulties, storms and tests in our walk with God, and more will come as we move further into our Promised Land—the spirit-filled life. We, like the Israelites, need to pause to worship God, calling to remembrance each of the stones or difficult lessons we have learned on our walk so far. We should look at each lesson as the Holy Spirit brings them to mind and then worship God, the one who took us through each one successfully. Maybe you are facing a crossroad decision right now. Before you try to go forward, first stop and build an altar. Not a physical one, but a mental one, built of the stones, the hard lessons, you have already learned to trust your God in. Remember all the things that the LORD has taken you through up until this day. And then worship Him for His grace and faithfulness to preserve you.

“Thank You, LORD, for Your hand of protection, direction, and deliverance on my life. You are faithful and true.”