The God Who Led Israel Leads Us Today

Devotional

Day 1: Stones from the Riverbed, Stories for Tomorrow

The Jordan River’s waters didn’t just stop—they piled up like a wall, leaving dry stones under priestly feet. Those stones became more than rubble. They became a question waiting to be asked: What do these mean? Every memorial God commands is an invitation to rehearse His faithfulness to the next generation. The same stones that bore the ark’s weight now bore witness to a God who stops floods to keep His promises. [24:34]

“So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 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, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, “What do these stones mean?” tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.’” (Joshua 4:4–7, NLT)

Reflection: What “stones” have you gathered in your life that testify to God’s faithfulness? When was the last time you shared their story with someone younger in faith?

Day 2: When God Goes First into the Flood

The priests didn’t test the water’s depth before stepping in. They carried the ark into the raging Jordan, trusting the God who said, I will make you a leader they’ll respect. Faith isn’t certainty about outcomes but confidence in the One who goes ahead. The same God who parted waters for Joshua parts fear for us, asking only that we lift our feet and follow. [18:40]

“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. Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: “When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.”’” (Joshua 3:7–8, NLT)

Reflection: Where is God asking you to step into “flood-stage” circumstances today? What makes obedience feel riskier than staying safe on the riverbank?

Day 3: Goldfish Memories and Stone-Cold Reminders

Israel forgot the Red Sea by the time they reached the Jordan. So God gave them stones to trip over—literal stumbling blocks against spiritual amnesia. Memorials aren’t for God’s sake but ours. They answer our future doubts with past evidence: He did it then; He’ll do it again. [37:44]

“He said to the Israelites, ‘In the future when your descendants ask their parents, “What do these stones mean?” tell them, “Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.” For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over.’” (Joshua 4:21–23, NLT)

Reflection: What recurring doubt or fear might shrink if you rehearsed God’s past faithfulness more often? How could you make this a daily habit?

Day 4: Trusting the Chair, Not the Calculation

Joshua didn’t need to understand hydrology to cross the Jordan. He needed to trust the God who said, I’m with you like I was with Moses. Faith isn’t a formula but a posture—leaning into God’s track record more than our calculations. The same God who held back rivers holds our tomorrows. [46:03]

“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12b, ESV)

Reflection: When has overanalyzing a situation paralyzed you? How might focusing on God’s character, not the crisis, shift your response?

Day 5: Parents as Primary Storytellers

The stones at Gilgal weren’t just for strangers—they were for sons and daughters. Every family carries a generational ark: stories of God’s intervention. To neglect these stories is to orphan the next generation of their spiritual inheritance. Our memories become their maps. [47:14]

“One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.” (Psalm 145:4, NIV)

Reflection: What story of God’s faithfulness can you share with a younger believer this week? How might your vulnerability strengthen their trust in Him?

Sermon Summary

Joshua sets the scene at the swollen Jordan with a simple call to prepare. The people are told to keep their distance from the ark and to purify themselves because the Lord will do great wonders. The text names God the living God, not a silent idol, and then ties his presence to the ark that will lead the line. God promises Joshua, today I will begin to make you a great leader, and that word steadies Joshua for a task that would have crushed lesser shoulders.

The ark then goes first. That is the heartbeat of the passage. God steps into the river before anyone else, and the priests stand still with the ark while a flood-stage Jordan backs up to Adam and the riverbed turns bone-dry. The miracle is not a convenient lull in the current. The waters wait until the last Israelite steps out, and only then come roaring back. The living God is actively participating in history. The God who split the Red Sea is the God who opens the Jordan. His power is not diminished by time.

Israel is called to trust. The priests must take wet steps before they see dry ground, and the people must walk past walls of water believing those walls will hold as long as God says. Faith looks like obedience in real time. God’s commands are God’s enablements, so the call to step is also a promise to sustain.

Israel is also called to remember. Twelve shoulder-stones come out of the middle of the river to Gilgal, and another stack goes down beneath the waterline. Those stones are a loud memory for children who will ask, What do these stones mean. They are also a public billboard for the nations, so all the earth might know the Lord’s hand is powerful, and a guardrail for Israel’s goldfish memory that forgets miracles by lunchtime. The passage finally presses toward today. The same God still leads his people. So the church prepares for his work, obeys when the river looks impossible, and builds memorials so that one generation’s experience of God becomes the next generation’s knowledge of God. Trust does not begin with understanding. Trust rests in the One who goes first and does it again.

Key Takeaways

1. God goes first into danger God’s presence, carried by the ark, steps into the Jordan before a single Israelite moves. That order matters. Grace precedes obedience, and provision meets faith in motion. Security does not come from safer water but from a faithful God who stands in the middle until everyone is through. [33:21]
2. Faith steps before full clarity The priests put their feet in the river before it parts, and the people walk while the waters are heaped up. Faith is not a stunt, it is obedience that trusts God to hold what he has promised to hold. The risk is real, but so is the word that sent them. [41:01]
3. Build memorials to fight forgetfulness Twelve stones out of the river turn a moment into a memory that talks. Forgetfulness erodes faith, so visible reminders help truth outlast adrenaline. Name the places where God met you, and point to them when the next crossing looks too deep. [24:34]
4. The living God still acts The text calls him the living God, and then shows him stopping a two-mile-wide flood at harvest time. He is not a statue in a temple, and he has not aged out of power. The God who opened the Red Sea opens the Jordan, and he is the same today. [29:43]
5. Tell the next generation’s story Those stones provoke children to ask, and parents to answer with specifics, not vague inspiration. One generation’s experience must become the next generation’s knowledge through faithful storytelling at the dinner table and in the car ride. Ordinary homes become Gilgal when parents keep pointing to what God did. [46:52]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[13:38] - Opening prayer and intro
[15:26] - Main point stated
[16:11] - Joshua steps into Moses’ shoes
[18:11] - God exalts Joshua today
[19:41] - Ark leads, waters stand like a wall
[22:04] - Jordan stops at flood stage
[24:34] - Twelve stones memorial
[26:36] - Tell your children, fear the Lord
[32:17] - The same God from Red Sea
[32:58] - God goes first, Israel trusts
[37:23] - Remembering and goldfish memories
[41:01] - Obedience, step into the river
[46:52] - Parents as primary storytellers
[49:47] - Closing prayer and response

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Joshua 3:1–4:24 (ESV)
- Exodus 14:21–22 (ESV) – The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground.
- Deuteronomy 6:6–7 (ESV) – Impress [God’s commands] on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home…

Observation questions

In Joshua 3:15–16, the Jordan River was at flood stage when God stopped its flow. What details in the text emphasize the magnitude of this miracle?
According to Joshua 4:6–7, what specific instruction were the Israelites given about the memorial stones, and how were they to explain their purpose to future generations?
The sermon mentioned that the priests had to step into the river before the waters parted (Joshua 3:13). What does this reveal about the relationship between faith and action? [41:01]
How does the sermon connect the crossing of the Jordan to the earlier Red Sea miracle (Exodus 14:21–22)? [32:17]

Interpretation questions

Why do you think God commanded the Israelites to keep a distance from the ark (Joshua 3:4) and to purify themselves (3:5) before crossing the Jordan? What does this teach about approaching God’s presence?
The sermon described the memorial stones as a “loud memory” and a “guardrail for goldfish memory.” Why might physical reminders like these be necessary for sustaining faith over time? [24:34]
Both the Red Sea and Jordan crossings involved water miracles, but one marked deliverance from slavery and the other into promise. How might these two events symbolize different seasons of faith?
Deuteronomy 6:6–7 emphasizes teaching children through daily rhythms. How does this connect to the sermon’s call for parents to be “primary storytellers” of God’s faithfulness? [46:52]

Application questions

The Jordan River represented a daunting obstacle for Israel. What “river” are you facing right now where God is asking you to trust Him before seeing the outcome? How can you take a step of obedience this week? [41:01]
Forgetfulness erodes faith. What tangible “memorial” (e.g., journal entry, photo, object) could you create to remember a specific time God acted in your life? Who could you share this with? [24:34]
The sermon warned against a “goldfish memory” that forgets miracles quickly. When have you seen God’s faithfulness in the past, yet still struggled to trust Him in a new challenge? How can you combat this pattern?
Parents were urged to turn their experiences of God into their children’s knowledge of Him. What story of God’s provision or guidance could you intentionally share with a younger person this month? [46:52]
The priests carried the ark into the Jordan first, symbolizing God’s presence going ahead. How does this truth reshape your perspective when facing uncertainty or fear?
The sermon stated, “God’s commands are God’s enablements.” What step of obedience have you hesitated to take because it feels too risky? How might God’s promise to sustain you change your response? [41:38]
Israel’s memorial stones were public and visible. What “public” way (e.g., testimony, social media, conversation) could you use to declare God’s work in your life to others this month?

Sermon Clips

53s

“Forgetfulness is one of the greatest enemies of faith. When we forget what god has done in our lives, it makes it so much harder to be to have faith and to trust that he's gonna do what he says he's gonna do. The great thing about the 12 stones is that they were there to be a reminder of what God had done that day. What's your 12 stones? What's your amazing story of what God has done, big or small, that God did that leads you to be encouraged to trust him more and more each day.”

56s

“But what's the point? What's the application that we can take from this story here? Well, the first thing is we need to be prepared for god to work in our lives. Oftentimes, we are called to do things before we know the full picture or what the potential outcome will be. But we are to face life expecting, anticipating that God will do what he says he will do. Amen? That he will do exactly what it is that he said he'll do. We're called to trust I wanna ask, are you ready to see god work? Are you so overwhelmed by the circumstances in front of you that you miss what God is doing?”

36s

“Israel could have easily Joshua could have easily walked up to that river and be like, God, this is not you not see? It's at flood stage. It's harvest time. This this river is raging. There's no way would I guess we're gonna have to wait. But instead, god says, no. No. No. With the ark, go, and you will cross. Are you looking at your circumstances to to be super cliche? Are you looking at the mountain and saying, god, look how big this mountain is is? Or are saying, mountain, look how big my god is?”

53s

“And Tim Keller said this, and this is for me for me, such a convicting, such a encouragement, such a spur on kind of statement. Parents are to be the primary storytellers of God's faithfulness. And so what story are you telling your kids or going to tell your kids? What memorial will we point them to and say, this is this is when god did dot dot dot. This is what god did in this situation. This is how god moved in this circumstance in our lives.”

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