The story of Joshua leading the Israelites across the Jordan River into the Promised Land is one of the most breathtaking moments in all of biblical history. After forty long years of wandering in the wilderness, God’s people finally stood on the edge of their long-awaited promise. Yet, between them and the fulfillment of God’s Word lay an obstacle that seemed utterly impossible—the swollen, impassable Jordan River.
But right there, in the face of impossibility, God chose to showcase His unmatched power and unwavering faithfulness.
At God’s command, Joshua instructed the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant to step into the river. It must have felt terrifying—trusting that their first step would be met by a miracle. And yet, the moment their feet touched the water, Scripture tells us the waters upstream stopped flowing and piled up in a great heap (Joshua 3:14-17). Before their very eyes, the raging river turned into dry ground, and the entire nation of Israel crossed safely into the Promised Land.
What a breathtaking reminder: God specializes in making a way where there seems to be no way.
Just as He had parted the Red Sea for their ancestors, He was now declaring to a new generation: “I am still the same God. I have not changed. I am still faithful.”
But God wasn’t finished. After the crossing, He gave Joshua a clear instruction: Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests had stood in the middle of the river and build an altar (Joshua 4:1-7). This altar wasn’t just a pile of rocks—it was a monument of memory, a physical testimony of God’s power and provision.
Joshua explained that in the years to come, when children would ask about the meaning of those stones, parents would tell them the story—the story of how God stopped the waters of the Jordan and made the impossible, possible. It was a way to ensure that God’s miracles would not be forgotten, but remembered, celebrated, and passed down from generation to generation.
A Call to Build Our Own Altars
The altar Joshua and the Israelites built serves as a powerful example for us today. Most of us will never face literal rivers, but we all come up against obstacles that seem uncrossable: a diagnosis, a broken relationship, a financial crisis, an overwhelming fear. And yet, again and again, God steps in. He parts the waters. He makes a way.
These divine moments are too precious to forget.
In today’s world, building an altar doesn’t necessarily mean piling up stones. It means creating intentional reminders of God’s faithfulness—moments where heaven met earth in your story. Here are some modern ways you can “build an altar”:
- Write it Down: Keep a journal of answered prayers, breakthroughs, and divine interventions. Reading back over it will fuel your faith in future battles.
- Create a Physical Reminder: Frame a photo, keep a small object, or create artwork that symbolizes a victory God gave you.
- Share Your Story: Don’t underestimate the power of your testimony. Sharing what God has done in your life can ignite hope in someone else’s heart.
- Set Time to Reflect: Establish a tradition—an annual gratitude day or a family night—to recount and celebrate what God has done.
Every altar we build, whether seen or unseen, is a testimony. It declares: “The God who was faithful before will be faithful again.”
Faith for Today—and for the Generations to Come
Remember, these acts of remembrance aren’t just for us. Just as the Israelites told their children about the stones, our stories have the power to inspire the next generation. They shine a light on a living, breathing God who is active and involved in every detail of our lives.
Take a moment today to think about the “upstream miracles” in your own journey. Where has God stepped in? Where has He made a way where there was no way?
And then—build your altar.
Remember: The God who parted the Jordan River still parts rivers today. The God who led His people into the Promised Land still leads His people into promises today.
He is faithful. He is able. And He is with you.
May your heart be strengthened by what He has done—and filled with hope for all that He is yet to do.
I hope this speaks to you, and I pray you have a blessed and victorious day!
Life-Giving Words of Hope & Encouragement 
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