Stones

By Lori Scharf

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“…and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever… and they are there unto this day.”

~Joshua 4:5-9

“Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.”

~Samuel 7:12

Stones are used in powerful ways in the Bible.

Above we saw two different times where stones were placed as reminders of time where God helped his people. There are many more times where stone altars were made to commemorate other blessings from God.

But why stones?

Wouldn’t it have been easier to pile some wood? Or make a carving in a tree?

Of course! But do you know what happens to wood? It rots into dust. It burns easily. And while rocks aren’t indestructible, they certainly last longer than wood.

Many of our blessings are like wood. We remember them for a while, but eventually they rot away in the conditions of life.  They are consumed in the fires of hardship.

Sometimes we need stones.

Those markers that do not easily fade away.

Sometimes, we must go through a long, hard journey; but there is a blessing at the end.

These are our stones!

Those kinds of journeys are not easily forgotten.

Looking back on your life, I’m sure you see many stone markers. Many times of hardship. I know I do.

In 2018, my mom got pregnant. We were all excited to have another baby brother! But then he died.

He was stillborn.

As a nine year-old, it was hard for me to accept that he was actually gone. It’s still hard to accept that.

In 2020, my mom got pregnant again; and the exact same thing happened. 

We still don’t know exactly why my brothers died. 

It’s still hard to understand why God took them.

But these kinds of journeys are not just stones. They are Ebenezers! And there are blessings beyond the hardship!

My youngest sister was born in February of 2022.

When we found out my mom was pregnant, we were naturally scared. Was God going to make us go through this process again?

Despite our worries and many complications, my baby sister survived! She is now over a year old; and the sweetest kid ever!

It’s true that the stars don’t shine without the dark.

Without all that loss, we would never be able to appreciate my little sister as the miracle she is!

Being able to share our story with other people is another blessing.  People upen up when they know you understand what you’re going through.  

God gave us this story for a reason!

God is giving you a story for a reason!

God is giving you stones so that you will remember His faithfulness.

He is giving you stones so you can look at them as Ebenezers.

I’m sure the Israelites got tired of piling stones all over the countryside.

I’m sure you get tired of those times of hardship. But God gave them to you for a purpose! So when you look back on you ‘stones’, remember why they’re there.

Remember your journey.

Remember that God is good. He is with you! And he is waiting, ready to pour his blessing over you.

“And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house…”

~Deuteronimy 26:11

“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee…”

~Joshua 1:9

Until next time,

-Lori