Pick Up A Rock | AllWorship.com

God says: “Here’s your next spiritual assignment.”

You say: “Whaaaaaaat?”

Yes, I am serious. Your next spiritual assignment from God may be to pick up a rock. Think it could not be so? Well, think again:

The men followed Joshua’s orders. As the LORD had commanded Joshua, they took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each of the tribes of Israel, carried them to the camping place, and put them down there. (Jos 4:8 GNB)

God commanded Joshua to take twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River to the other side (the Promised Land). In today’s Scripture passage, Joshua then assigns twelve men to do it. I wonder if they thought, “We trained all our lives for THIS? Anyone can pick up a stone! Has Joshua lost his mind?” If they thought so, they kept their thoughts to themselves. They knew better than to complain … but more about that in a moment.

What could be spiritual about ordering soldiers to pick up stones? To a casual observer, it would appear that there was not one. To discover it, we must see beyond casual observation.

Where the stones came from was a few minutes before covered by the swift, deep, muddy water of a river at flood stage–a river that God miraculously stopped upstream so they could cross into the land He promised them in a covenant He made with Abraham hundreds of years before. Getting more spiritual-sounding now, is it? We’re not finished.
The stones were to be deposited on the other side as tangible evidence that it happened. They were also to be a memorial of the event for future generations. They were to take their children to that pile of stones and teach them what happened. Getting more spiritual, are we? There is more.

Ultimately, the spiritual purpose in taking the stones to the other side was … because God said so. That’s it. This is the most spiritual reason of all. “And that’s all she wrote.” This was my grandmother’s way of communicating that what she just said was final.
Were the soldiers aware of any of this? I suspect so, but this is irrelevant. “All she wrote” is that they trusted Joshua enough to fulfill their assignment as it was given to them. It did not have to make sense because orders were orders–and trained soldiers follow orders.

What is your assignment? Will it make sense or be evident to a casual observer? Whether it is or is not is also irrelevant. (And, just for the record, it probably will not.) Judge as humans see it and you will likely be disappointed. It only matters–and I do mean ONLY–that God said do it. Few may understand. This too is irrelevant. Do whatever ‘it’ is and you will be considered a “good and faithful servant” of which Jesus spoke.

If instead, you respond with complaints or demands for an explanation before you will do anything, you may find yourself in the place of a grumbler. Read about what happened to those of Israel who grumbled and complained about Moses. Hint: It did not end well for them.

That generation (except for Joshua and Caleb) was relegated to wandering in the desert for forty years because of their rejection of God and now allowed to enter the Promised Land. The soldiers who took up the stones were their offspring and understood what happened to their parents. Now do you understand why they were careful to follow Joshua’s orders?

What is the takeaway for us in this account of rocks in a river three millennia ago? Simple: Do whatever God gives you to do because He said it. He knows our ‘Promised Land’ and will do all He needs to do to qualify us to enter it. Paul’s admonishment to the Colossians in 3:23-25 echoes this:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism. (Col 3:23-25 NIV)

Rocks aren’t looking so bad now, are they?