How Well Do You Know Ed? - Jan Neill

In Joshua we find that the 2 ½ tribes of Israel had completed the task of fighting with the other tribes to subdue the land- and were returning to ‘their’ side of Jordon.  Not the Promised Land God had provided but their choice (whole new discussion on this one- later) but where they asked to stay. 

Upon crossing over they stopped to build an alter for reflection, and reembrace.  Joshua 22:34 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God.

I don’t know about you, but I often can be caught in the “God answers prayer for the deserving, staff, preachers, pastors wives, … and on it goes, but He isn’t as interested in my, my life, my needs as those IMPOERART People, the Bible Collage crowd..etc. (insert lie of the Devil that is whispered in your ear.) 

We all need more ED… we need to make memorials, alters and reembraces of WHEN GOD did more than meet our needs, wants , and how He made ways we cannot see.  In this world we are so bombarded with all the reasons that God, cant- won’t – or could use as reasons to NOT hear and care for His children.  Our children, and grandchildren will live in a world that will continue to challenge who God is and that He is sovereign, mighty, holy, loving… all the attributes we KNOW about God,  but can easily forget when the blows and challenges of the world constantly beat us up. 

Who / what are the Ed’s in your life that when hard times come, and it seems the answers you pray for are delayed, that you can look to and remember .. several years ago after having been diagnosed with stage 2 type 2 melanoma, I can still tell you to this day the spot on the freeway where I surrendered my will to God for my health, and successful treatment and surgery,  I can tell of begging God to save my then lost husband and provide me a Godly mate and a Christian home, and on and on the list goes. 

We have a new member of the family this year and as I’m thinking of pulling out old pictures to share with her to show her the family, our history, who these people were that are so important to our history and who made a difference,  as we move toward Thanksgiving and thinking about being thankful, grateful and blessed…. Perhaps it’s a great time to reflect on Ed, and maybe even share with our families the alters that God has made for and with us… ‘That in times to come these shall not be forgotten.”