EBENEZER

Samuel took a single rock and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it “Ebenezer” (Rock of Help), saying, “This marks the place where God helped us.” 1 Samuel 7:12

Ebenezer. Other than recognizing it as the first name of Scrooge in Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, I have not been too familiar with this word.

But this story in First Samuel is teaching me about this Ebenezer word and reminding me of what a faithful God we serve. Here, like in many wilderness moments, the Israelites were not in a good place. They were worried about lots of things, especially the immediate threat of their enemies, the Philistines. They had given up on God and turned to worshipping idols, which was making their situation so much worse.

In this chapter, Samuel called them together and commanded them to turn their hearts back to God. And they did – right away! They got rid of their false gods, they fasted, and they prayed, as Samuel sacrificed a burnt offering.

During this time of worship and prayer, the Philistines figured out where they were and began to approach. The Israelites started to panic, and Samuel kept praying. Just at the right time, God sent a horrific thunderbolt – confusing the Philistine army and giving the Israelites the advantage as they chased them into defeat.

When it was all over, Samuel set up a rock to commemorate the victory. He created a place for the Israelites to remember and rejoice in God’s faithfulness.

He marked the spot where God took care of his people.

And he called it an Ebenezer, a rock of help.

Whenever they passed by that rock, they remembered that God had met them there.

He had heard their prayers,

he had relieved their fears,

and he had given them the power to fight and win the battle they were facing.

If we look back on our own walk with Jesus, we will find that we have Ebenezer moments too. Times and places and circumstances where God came close and helped us.

Experiences that convicted or inspired or renewed us.

Moments that we don’t want to forget because they were so significant to our understanding of God and his deep love for us.

God has shown up for us through relationships with people, in nature, through the right song at the right time, in a sermon or story that brought new understanding, or by speaking to our hearts in the middle of a circumstance that we didn’t expect.

He has infinite ways of helping us along this journey of life.

Let’s mark them. Big or small. Maybe we don’t put up big stones anymore, but we can be creative. Artwork, journal entries, photos, collections of rocks or shells or beads…what can remind us of the times that God came close?

Stand firm: When you find yourself in the place that the Israelites did–worried and disillusioned, looking everywhere but to God for help–do what they did. Turn to God and pray, pray, pray. He is always with you, ready to help; and he will give you the victory. As you look back on the Ebenezer moments of your life, thank him for his faithfulness.  You will be able to mark this spot, too.