February 12, 2025
stacked stones in the sand

Why we need spiritual markers

There are moments in my life as a Christian when I feel like I am drifting, sinking or swimming against the current. If I was honest, these moments are often not brief periods but days on end. They could be consecutive or alternate days. They could be because I pay much attention to explication and analysis of future possibilities. For example, my decisions about small things — like how my WhatsApp update will be perceived by others — or big decisions — like why I should walk more and eat fewer fries — all point to my personality that likes order and not chaos. Yes. I am a fairly structured person. When things are up in the air and out of my control, I parascend.

I have learned that as we become adults, we experience the tumultuous ocean waves of caring for our aging parents and our demanding young ones while the torque of life pulls us in circles with shifting career goals, not forgetting the feeling of sinking when our feet touch the water as we step out of the boat to try a new growth habit or move to the next level.

To rise up well we need spiritual markers. In the Old Testament, God often instructed Israelites to have memorabilia whenever they advanced as they covenanted with God.

‘When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 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.’ ‘ Joshua 4:1-3

Joshua obeyed this command twice over. He made two memorabilia –one where the priests stood as the Jordan River dried up and the other at Gilgal where its purpose was explained.

Joshua 4:20-24 says: ‘And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. 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. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.’’

Such practices are common throughout the Bible. Objects were kept or collected because of the significant spiritual memory associated with them. If not objects, rituals, and rites were established — like eating while standing during Passover, sleeping in tents during the festival of lights, dressing up, and giving gifts during the festival of Purim, among others.

The most popular way though to keep a memory alive was through music. Songs were composed that would tell the story of God’s deliverance or judgment. Miriam and Moses’s song speaks of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt (Exodus 15), the Psalms capture almost every human emotion we experience, hymns in New Testament passages like Philippians 2:5-11, Colossians 1:15-20, John 1:1-18, Ephesians 2:14-16 and 1 Timothy 3:16 and Luke 1-2 records songs of praise about Christ.

The covenant people of God would use these songs to tell the next generation about God’s faithfulness and justice.

Henry Blackaby, in his book Experiencing God, defines a spiritual marker as that which “identifies a time of decision when you clearly knew that God guided you”. He asks, “Can you remember the moment you became a child of God? Were there specific times when He called you to His ways of living? Can you point to times when He clearly guided you in a decision? Were there times when He spoke powerfully to you about a commitment you should make?”

Blackaby charges: “Keep track of these important moments! Regularly rehearse them and notice the steady progression in the way God has led you. This will help you understand God’s activity in your life and give you a sense of direction as you face future decisions.”

The challenge for many of us is to slow down and reflect on these crossroad moments. We need to develop the discipline to note these things down lest we forget.

These are two great habits we can cultivate in the New Year. We can start small by reflecting on our day during prayer. Get into God’s presence and acknowledge him and thank him for watching over you then review your day. Look at the nature of the things you remember and consider what these things say about you.

second, stretch back to moments when you experienced God’s faithfulness, deliverance, or judgment. You can pick a song that leads you to what most matters in faith or in the knowledge of God. The playlist that you make out of this will help you parascend through the storms of life.

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