Scripture Focus: Joshua 4.1-9
1 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 3 and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.” 
4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” 
8 So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. 9 Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.

Student Writers Month:
This month, The Park Forum welcomes college and seminary student writers pursuing ministry careers. For more info about our yearly Student Writer program, see our website.

Reflection: Rocks of Remembrance
By Carolyn M. Soto Jackson

Lake McDonald, in the heart of Montana, is known for its remarkably clear water and for the striking multi-colored rocks below its surface. However, when they are removed from the water, these vibrant rocks are no longer as red, green, or blue as they once seemed. 

This reminds us of the importance of being submerged in the living water of God’s presence and of how God kept His promise to the children of Israel. You may be thinking, how? 

These aged rocks formed from clay under extreme heat and pressure caused by the weight of glaciers. The vivid colors come from their iron content and the presence or absence of water. Red rocks indicate oxidation from the air after they formed. Green rocks indicate they were formed in deep water, an environment preventing oxidation. Pressure and heat over numerous years resulted in beauty decades later. If God does this for rocks (Matthew 6.28-30), can you imagine what He does for his children? 

Just as God brought them through the Red Sea, He also guided His children as they crossed the Jordan river. God gave Joshua instructions for twelve men to pick up twelve stones, while crossing. These twelve stones were used to construct a memorial as a sign of God’s fulfilled promise.  

Like Aaron’s breastplate (Exodus 28.15-21), these twelve stones were a constant reminder of perseverance, deliverance, and redemption. These stones from the river allowed God’s glory to shine, not only below water, but above. 

We know obeying God’s commands enhances his kingdom. When we obey, miracles happen, waters part, and walls come crumbling down. But it takes our steadfast love, obedience and faithfulness while we are in the waiting, especially under the pressure and heat of the world. We can be confident in this, if we are firm in the waiting, God will create beauty not only in heaven but here on earth.

Photo Credit: Today’s photo was also taken by Carolyn on a recent trip to Lake McDonald. Melissa and I have traveled there (Glacier National Park) as well and highly recommend making a trip.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Morning Psalm
I waited patiently upon the Lord; he stooped to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the mire and the clay; he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure.
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many shall see, and stand in awe.
And put their trust in the Lord. — Psalm 40.1-3

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle

Today’s Readings
Joshua 4 (Listen – 3:31)
Psalm 129-131 (Listen – 2:02)

This Weekend’s Readings
Joshua 5-6:5 (Listen – 7:25), Psalm 132-234 (Listen – 2:42)
Joshua 6:6-27 (Listen – 4:47), Psalm 135-136 (Listen – 4:23)

Read more about Readers’ Choice 2021
Tell us about posts from the past eleven months (September 2020 through July 2021) that challenged you, comforted you, or helped you find new meaning in the scriptures.

https://forms.gle/ozM13qvW9ouSWhJS7

Read more about Jericho’s Wall :: Readers’ Choice
We don’t deserve what God has given us…if we are unfaithful, we too will face God’s wrath and no wall will stand in its way.

Scripture Focus: Joshua 3:3-4, 7, 9-13
“When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between you and the ark; do not go near it.”

And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. 

Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”

Student Writers Month:
This month, The Park Forum welcomes college and seminary student writers pursuing ministry careers. For more info about our yearly Student Writer program, see our website.

Reflection: That You May Know
By Karen Chen Kallberg

My children were once afraid of our bathroom. Even though we live in a small bungalow and assure them that the bathroom is perfectly safe, the only reassurance they want is for a parent to go with them. 

In Joshua 3, we encounter a fledgling nation also in need of reassurance. This was the generation that grew up on manna and followed a pillar of cloud through the wilderness. Everything, however, had changed. Moses had died. The pillar was gone. The manna was also about to stop. Which way should they go? Was Joshua ready to lead? How should they launch this military campaign? 

The Lord anticipated their questions with reassurances of His own.

First, in lieu of the pillar, he sent the ark of the covenant to lead the way. The ark represented God’s presence. It had always traveled in the center of his people. Now, however, he sent the ark to the front to provide direction for his people. “Then you will know which way to go…” (Joshua 3:4)

Second, how could anyone replace Moses? Joshua saw what God did through Moses in Egypt and the wilderness. Would God work through him in the same way? The Lord gave his new leader this reassurance: “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so that they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.” (Joshua 3:7)

Third, the Israelites were nomads, not seasoned warriors. It seemed that they needed better weapons, training, and strategies. God said all they needed was him. He would defeat their enemies. “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites…” (Joshua 3:9)

In every dilemma, we want reassurance of success. God’s reassurances, however, are actually revelations. Don’t know where to go? He will show you. Don’t know what to do? He will help you. Don’t know how to do it? He will do it for you. God is the answer to all our questions. He reveals himself to us in our dilemmas, because he wants us to know him. That is why, in answer to the dilemma of sin and death, the Creator and Sustainer of life wrapped himself in human flesh and became an infant…so that we might know him and find life.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting
Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy Name and glory in your praise. — Psalm 106.47

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle

Today’s Readings
Joshua 3 (Listen – 2:45)
Psalm 126-128 (Listen – 1:58)

Read more about Readers’ Choice 2021
It is time for us to hear from you about the posts from the past eleven months (September 2020 through July 2021) that have challenged and comforted you and helped you find new meaning in the scriptures.

https://forms.gle/ozM13qvW9ouSWhJS7

Read more about Presence is Precious
Practicing the presence of God means living as a tabernacle of the Holy Spirit, making everywhere you set your feet holy ground.