Here I Raise My Ebenezer

In 1 Samuel 7, Samuel cries out to the Lord on behalf of the Israelites, asking Him to rescue them from the Philistines. With “loud thunder,” the Lord stirs the Philistines right into the path of the Israelites, where Samuel and his people are finally able to find victory over their enemies. In response to this, Samuel sets a stone in the road, naming it Ebenezer and proclaiming, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” He establishes this stone as a visual reminder for the Israelites of God’s power, faithfulness, and mercy. He didn't want them to forget.

                Maybe I ought to raise my own Ebenezer stone. I don’t ever want to forget what the Lord has done for me. I want to remember the ways in which He has been faithful and merciful. I want to recall the ways He has saved me and healed me. Right here, right now, I want to call out some of the countless encounters I have had with the Lord who helps.

                The Lord Jesus Christ took my sins upon His shoulders and died for my salvation. The Lord has loved me even when I did not love myself. The Lord has gracefully carried me through times of death and divorce. The Lord has delivered me from the grip of depression. The Lord has provided the means for me to attend a Christian school. The Lord has driven out my anxiety and replaced it with His peace. The Lord has blessed me with a supportive family who chooses to see the best in me. The Lord has replaced my old, jealous heart with a new, compassionate heart. The Lord has taken me from fear of the future to hope for the future. The Lord has given me the capacity to learn and absorb. The Lord has humbled me by putting me in positions of leadership for which I did not feel equipped. The Lord has gifted me with encouragement, faith, and mercy. The Lord has led me to repentance. The Lord has led me to forgive those who have hurt me. The Lord has spoken to me. The Lord has called me His daughter. The Lord has held me close in times of loneliness. The Lord has brought me to this place.

                So here I raise my Ebenezer and loudly proclaim, “Thus far the Lord has helped me.”