“I tell you,” he replied,
“if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
Luke 19:40 NIV
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There are some days and weeks in my life that I don’t do such a great job at carving out my 1:1 time alone with God. It happens quite a bit on vacation or other times when my routines aren’t the same as on a “normal” day. On those days, God uses other tactics to speak to me.
He lets the stones cry out.
Let me explain…
A long time ago, I remember reading in the Bible about a time when Jesus’s disciples were scolded by a group of religious leaders for praising Jesus and referring to him as “Lord” and “King.” The leaders told Jesus to quiet his followers for saying such things. Jesus’s response to them always stuck with me:
He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones would cry out.” (Luke 19:40 NIV)
In other words, it doesn’t matter what people try to do to keep the truth about Jesus silenced… the earth knows it’s maker and – when necessary – even the rocks reveal the truth loud and proud.
And then I realized that God gives stones a pretty prominent role in the Bible, actually. Just off the top of my head, I can think of at least 3 key times when God used a stone to cry out:
- A stone was the first to announce that Jesus had risen: “On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus…” (Luke 24:1-3 NIV)
- 12 stones were selected to commemorate the grace of God in the desert exodus: “In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” (Joshua 4:6b-7 NIV)
- A millstone was used to stress the depth of God’s love for little children: “And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” (Matthew 18:6 NIV)
These are just a few – there are many, many more.
So, this week, my heart pleaded with God to use my surroundings to draw me near to him in a new and meaningful way. And he did.
HOW he did is another story for another time… For now, I’m more interested in hearing from YOU. Take this next week and ask God to use YOUR surroundings – the stones in your life – to draw you near to him in a new and meaningful way. Comment below or email me privately (emily@messyworship.com) to tell me how God let the stones cry out in your life!
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Dear Lord, you are so awesome. Even when I think I’ve seen the fullness of your love, you blow my mind with more than I ever thought possible. I am so thankful for the stones you’ve surrounded me with. Let your stones continue to cry out your truth in our lives every single day. Give us courage to share your story as boldly as your creation does. Amen.
Looking forward to this next week and what stones cry out! Will keep you posted!
So… what’d you hear? I’m on pins and needles!!!