A Stone With Ears

Rocks!  We see them every day, but they are so common we pay little to no attention to them.  But according to the Bible, they pay attention to us.

I’m sure that’s messed with your theology a bit.  I can hear you saying, “Pastor, rocks don’t have ears!”  "Are you sure?" “There you go again…" Let me read to you from Joshua's last words to Israel before they buried him with his ancestors:

"See!" he said to all the people. "This  stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the LORD has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God."   (Joshua 24:27, NLT)

So, now do you believe rocks have ears?

Throughout the Old Testament, stones served as memorial altars and significant markers of events: 

• When Joshua led Israel across the Jordan River into the new land of Canaan, he had twelve men take twelve stones from the river bed and pile them at Gilgal.  God commanded them to tell their descendants, when asked, that these stones were intentionally placed there as reminder of how the LORD dried up the river so they could cross over on dry ground.
• Elijah took twelve stones to build the altar on Mt. Carmel as he confronted the prophets of Baal.  God came in fire, proving he was God. (1 Kings 18:31). 

In the New Testament, stones were personified:

• "Speaking to the religious leaders of his day, John the Baptist told them, 'Out of these stones God can raise up children from Abraham.' " (Matt. 3:9).
• Even Jesus said God would use stones to praise Him if the people would not (Lk. 19:39-40).

But maybe the most challenging biblical reference to a stone is that of the human heart. 

Listen to the prophet: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26).  In God’s sight, my heart can become as hard as my granite kitchen counter.  (But if my granite counter starts talking to me, I’m going to have a problem!)

Two things intrigue me about Joshua’s words:

First, the promises the people made.  God didn’t put a gun to their head and require them to take an oath. Moses had set before them blessing and curses and then instructed them to choose blessing.  If they obeyed God He would bless them and they said they would.  How many promises have you made to God in your life?  Were you serious?  Have you kept them?  Your words will judge you someday, so being a Promise Keeper is more than joining a national men’s organization! It means honoring your very word to God.

Second, there is always someone or something present when your words were spoken.  For Joshua, there was a stone, and that stone became his witness.  In our case you have been at an old fashion church altar, or in your bedroom, or in the forest on a spiritual walk and you spoke a promise to God.  The altar heard it, the walls of your bedroom heard it and so did the trees you were praying near. 

In othere words, your promises never fall on deaf ears. There are witnesses around you, and you are accountable to God for those promises.

We have been fasting and praying for 21 days. Our prayers are our words and are pleasing to our God.  I don’t know about you, but I’ve made some promises to Him and I am now obligated to carry them out in obedience.  The power of the Holy Spirit will assist us in doing as we’ve promised, but we must never forget, God remembers and requires obedience.

I am very proud of you for the sacrifices you’ve made to bring your flesh into godly submission throughout these days of fasting.  We will do this again next year, but you don’t have to wait to fast until next January 2013! Why not make it a part of your spiritual discipline throughout the year?  Be sensible with it as the Lord leads and make this a priority. You will benefit profoundly; I know I have!

Be assured of my prayers for all my blog friends as you honor our God with your words, for they are a covenant between you and your eternal King and Lord!

I’ll keep meeting you at the Throne,
Pastor George