Twelve Stones

About 3 years ago, a pastor at my old church had a message that has stuck with me so vividly. I’m sure everyone has had moments like that, the ones that just stand out. This message had a “take home assignment” and maybe I’ll share why I never did the homework in another post. But here I am 3 years later and just now starting.

God planted this deep in my heart, because I can’t even remember what I had for breakfast today. But I know it’s time to get started and do the work. It was the passage of the twelve stones in Joshua chapter 4. We were to gather 12 stones, and those were to represent a weapon to fight the enemy. He requested we choose 12 words “stones” to study and pray over them. Unfortunately, choosing and writing my words down was as far as I got.

I believe God’s timing is perfect and here I am 3 years later starting this bible study. The 12 words are wrote down but I haven’t done all the studying and praying over each one. That’s still a work in progress, but I wanna share, hopefully, a few with y’all. If not all of them over the next couple weeks. I wanted to literally have the stones, I know he meant figuratively… but I wanted the stones as a reminded.

Here’s a back story on what word I chose to study first, in the past I have struggled with the spirit of anger. It hurts and embarrasses me to even write that down because if you don’t truly 100% know me – you’d think I’m such a positive and happy person and for the most part I really am. It’s the other part of me that most people don’t know or ever see.

If my patiences gets pushed (AKA kiddddssss lol) If I’m hungry…true story-Ryan saw me rip (and when I say rip it was basically like a lioness attacking her prey) into an unpaid bag M&M’s at Walmart. And, of course, it was at Walmart. That place, I tell ya. Brings the crazy out. But no joke, it was when we had just started dating, it was so embarrassing but now y’all know it’s true love haha. Also, in case you’re wondering I did pay for the empty bag of M&M’s. Ok, back on target here…but it’s true I have struggled with anger but by God’s grace he’s leading me out and away from that spirit.

Here’s my first stone. The stone to fight anger and here’s to hoping it’ll encourage or help someone else who might struggle with the same thing. Journaling is a stress release for me, it’s not pretty. My handwriting is chicken scratch, but I love it. I can write down things and not be judged. I write my prayers and basically just hash life out.

When I was struggling with these feelings of anger andddd lemme tell ya- it was days on end, I wasn’t even praying. I felt to ashamed to come to God, because I didn’t feel like my self. I felt like a shell of the woman I once was and I felt defeated. One night I had had enough, I was over feeling that way. So, I started journaling and praying and asking questions and here’s what I wrote and how God helped me.

Why am I angry & how do I fix it?

Eph4: 31- Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32-and be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

My question then was how? How do I get rid of this anger God?

And it goes back to the 1st commandment, Love the Lord with all your heart. Then I started searching. How do I love the Lord with all my heart?

Colossians 3:17-and whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the father by him. 23- and what so ever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not into men; 24- knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

And how do you do that? How do you do everything unto the Lord?

1 peter 2:1-2 -Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and all hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking‘s, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.

Did y’all catch that? Desiring the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. We are sanctified (kept) by the word, this is how we do everything unto Christ. By reading His word. (I know I’m not the only one who struggles with reading their bibles, but it’s truly spiritual life or death.) This topic could be a whole other blog post too, bc sister I’ve struggled doing that!

Reading your bible is going to keep you closer to Him, and his spirit is what guides us. I’m so thankful that I can look back and see growth, not by anything I’ve done. His word is our nourishment and I’m praying if there’s something you’re struggling with (it doesn’t have to be anger) that you will feel challenged too. Read Joshua chapter 4. Go collect your stones and fight the battle.

I’d love to know if you are going to join in by choosing your 12 “stones”, let me know in the comments below! Tag me on your instagram, I wanna know, you can tell me what words you are studying and praying over. It also doesn’t have to be anything you’re struggling with. Another word I chose is love, because that is a power power word! There’s never enough love. It encourages me so much to know y’all are reading and diving into God’s word with me.