I was driving to work on Good Friday and was thinking, 'God, how can we call this a "good" day when it was so horrifying?'. And as I was visualizing in my mind the gruesome scenes from the movie I had watched, "The Passion of the Christ" a word 'Retrospect' popped into my head. Retrospect is the act of looking back and reviewing events or situations with new information and with a new perspective.Of course we as Christians can experience Good Friday and appreciate what Christ did for us on the cross that day BECAUSE we are in the future looking back. We know that 3 days later something AMAZING happened! This is why we can rejoice and be happy and not go around and be mournful and sad. Of course let us not lose the significance of just how traumatic and painful that day was for all involved....because it is THAT experience that truly signifies how great of a savior that we have that He would go through all that for us!"
It makes me think too of the children of Israel and all their complaints and lack of faith through their journey. I want to slap them and say, "didn't you remember the sea being parted, the manna arriving daily, the birds being provided, the fire by night and clouds by day that led you and kept you safe!?" Couldn't they just believe God based on the fact that over and over he had provided for them! But we too tend to be blind to our retrospect blessings and provision.
“And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever” First, the memorial stones were to be a reminder of their own personal experience. Notice that in verse 6 that this memorial will cause the children to ask; “What do these stones mean to you?” These stones are first of all to be a reminder those who were present of their personal experience, what they saw, heard and felt. To paraphrase, “Tell your story, Keep a clear memory of what God did for you. Keep on telling your stories so that you never lose your own sense of awe and wonder of what God has done in your life.” Joshua 4:6-9
What memorials have you built? Do you tell others what God has done for you? Do you celebrate and testify of the goodness of God in your life? If you do then you will not easily forget the next time you are in a situation that you think is going to overwhelm you. Just like the Israelites who were obedient in building the memorial we forget to go back and remember and give thanks at the amazing provision that was laid out before us! But the memorial wasn't so much for just them...it was for their descendants. You see Retrospect Faith isn't just about US but about the people who observe and look up to us in how to walk out this Christian life.
In life we experience all kinds of events that aren't pleasant and sometimes we look up at the sky and wonder, "What in the world are you thinking God? What am I going to do now?" And then hours, days, weeks, months or even years later like a light bulb we understand what was going on and why we had to go through the trial like we did.....we were in a process and God wanted us to have faith in just who He is. We need to remember in those times that He has been more than faithful and look back at the memorials we have built at the times he healed us, saved us, delivered us from our mess and then we will not have a faith crisis and meltdown. Each time you go through a thing with great faith it gets easier and easier...it will become a way of life for you. You will actually start believing that with God all things are possible! With this mentality is when God will show up like we have never seen before! God is in control and just like He has delivered us before....He will do it again and again and again....it's all about Retrospect Faith.
Keep Sparkling for Him
Jonna
