A Foretaste of Home
Joshua 4:15–5:1
📖 Scripture
15 Then the Lord said to Joshua,
16 “Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant law to come up out of the Jordan.”
17 So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.”
18 And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before.
19 On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.
20 And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan.
21 He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’
22 tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’
23 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.
24 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.”
1 Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted in fear and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.
📘 Scripture Summary
The Lord commands Joshua to tell the priests to come up from the Jordan. As they obey, the waters return to their place. The people camp at Gilgal, where Joshua sets up the stones taken from the Jordan and explains their meaning. The Amorite and Canaanite kings hear what happened and are filled with fear.
🧠 Memory Verse
“The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, ‘Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!’”
— Joshua 6:16
🔎 Reflection
Crossing into Promise (4:15–19)
The priests remain in the Jordan until every Israelite crosses safely. When God instructs Joshua, the priests step out—and the waters immediately return. This moment marks a pivotal transition for Israel. Gilgal becomes a symbol of a fresh beginning, a foretaste of the promise that is yet to be fully realized.
In the same way, though we have not yet reached our eternal home, we experience a foretaste of it through the Holy Spirit. God’s daily faithfulness strengthens our confidence that He will finish the good work He began in us.
Look back and remember how far God has brought you. What is He inviting you to trust Him with in this season?
God’s Faithfulness Remembered (4:20–5:1)
The twelve stones at Gilgal serve as a lasting testimony. Just as the Red Sea crossing marked deliverance for the first generation, the Jordan crossing assures the new generation of God’s presence. These acts declare to every nation that the Lord is sovereign. The fear that grips Israel’s enemies confirms God’s fame.
Our own spiritual milestones should remind us—and testify to others—of God’s greatness. What God does in us is always meant both to strengthen us and bring others to Him.
What work of God in your life do you often return to for encouragement? Who might need to hear that story today?
🌟 Today’s Inspiration
“Whatever is good in this life is designed by God as a foretaste of what it’s like to enjoy him.”
— John Piper
🙏 Prayer
Lord, thank You for the reminders of Your faithfulness throughout my journey. Help me remember and retell Your goodness—not only for my own encouragement, but to glorify You and strengthen others. May my life become a monument to Your grace. In Jesus’ name, amen.
🖋 Essay
Remembering God’s Faithfulness
Years ago, I walked through my first real heartbreak—a season marked by grief and the slow work of healing. In that pain, God revealed Himself in personal and powerful ways. I chose to document everything He spoke to me during that time: Scripture, dreams, quotes, visions, and song lyrics. One moment still stands out vividly.
I woke in the night to an image of a stained glass window. In that moment God showed me that, like a stained glass masterpiece made from broken shards, He would use the broken pieces of my heart to create something more beautiful than I could imagine.
Since then, I’ve been able to share those words with others walking through their own valleys. What I thought would break me, God used to rebuild me and strengthen others.
I encourage you to start keeping a record of the moments when God speaks life into you. Those words will become a collection of hope for the days when you need to remember His faithfulness.
Written by Natasha Spiers