‘Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, ”Thus far the LORD has helped us.”’ (v12) 1 Samuel 7:10–12
When growing up I noted that some houses had names, and amongst these was ‘Ebenezer’. An unusual name for a house, I thought, until I discovered its true meaning. It is a word we should each declare at the start of our day, acknowledging that God has sustained us to this point.
As we read these Scriptures, we are presented with the truth that ‘the battle is the LORD’s (2 Chron. 20:15). One of my challenges is to avoid seeking to organise tomorrow before it arrives. Not so much the practicalities of daily living, but the anxieties I have over larger matters. It’s as if I want to see outcomes ahead of time, so I can make the best decisions possible. But we are not able to see the future.
We do, however, worship a God in whose hands the future, including my own, can be safely entrusted. As Samuel honoured God, He took care of Israel’s enemies (v10). One final thought: Ebenezer simply translated means ‘stone of help’.
It was Peter’s faith that Jesus declared as the rock upon which the Church would be built, whilst He provides its cornerstone. And we, the global Church, are the new Israel. As the Church, let’s review our calling to live as God’s ambassadors for a world in need, daily reminding ourselves, and each other, ‘Thus far the LORD has helped us’.
RELATED SCRIPTURE TO CONSIDER: 2 Chron. 20:1–24; 1 Sam. 17:41–47; Matt. 16:13–20; Eph. 2:19–22.
AN ACTION TO TAKE: Take some time to identify and consider your anxieties about your tomorrows’ yet to come. Can you find God in them and find your rest in God? Maybe set up a stone outside your front door, a reminder every time you leave your house.
A PRAYER TO MAKE: ‘Lord, thank You that thus far You have helped me. May I find my confidence in You for my tomorrows’ yet to be. Amen.’
Photo by mi pham on Unsplash
Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash
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