For more than 150 years, we have set aside a day to honor the fallen heroes of America’s wars. We have built monuments and held special services. We have memorialized our fallen with granite stones in hallowed cemeteries. The lives of our fallen heroes tell a story of patriotism and sacrifice, a story worthy of retelling and remembering.
Remembering is also a powerful theme in the Bible. God uses memorials to tell the story of His faithfulness and love, of His strength and promises. When the Israelites crossed the Jordan in Joshua 4:20-24, God instructed 12 men to get 12 stones from the river and construct a memorial “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” (v. 24, NIV).
Those 12 stones, which had been just rocks, became a place of remembrance and hope. The headstones, once just granite in a quarry, now mark our nation’s fallen and serve as a reminder of a life of humility and selfless service. In the river or the quarry, the stones were just rocks, until they became a memorial.
Let us never forget.
Prayer + Reflection
- Remember the families of our fallen. As you consider the sacrifice of our nation’s fallen service members, please pray for their loved ones today. Although time passes, grief remains; but God is a mighty comforter.
- Remember our nation, built on the sacrifices of brave men and women. Thank God many still serve and fight to protect our freedom today as you pray for unity and peace.
- Remember God’s faithfulness and provision in your life. In troubled times, it is so easy to forget God’s promise to never leave or forsake us. Ask God to remind you of His love and faithfulness in your life, and if you feel led, reflect on that in a journal. A good journal is also a memorial.
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