Raising Your Ebenezer

1 Samuel 7:12  "Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the LORD helped us.""

 

In my journey so far this year of reading the Bible on a one year plan I have found that, for me, the Old Testament can be difficult to read at times.  There were a lot of battles recorded, a lot of lineage and a lot of betrayal.  In 1 Samuel 7 the Israelites were afraid of the Philistines and were asking Samuel to pray for them and on their behalf to our God whom they had not necessarily been all that faithful too.  In verse 12 they had just been granted by God a victory and Samuel praised God and raised this stone and said how God had helped them thus far.  Samuel knew they had a long road ahead of them but he also knew the value in being thankful for every victory.  Maybe in our everyday lives we have forgotten to give credit where credit is due.  I know on my "bad" days it is extremely hard to remember that God has already done so much for us, for me...but I try very hard to push myself to remember that "Thus far the LORD has helped us."  HE has and will continue to help each of us in all we do.  It's not an easy thing to remember when we feel our lowest, I know this because I have been there and will probably be back there again...that is what the evil one wants, he wants us to stay in despair and feel defeated.  This is why it is so important to push ourselves to remember to thank God for all He has already done for us, all He has helped us through thus far...and then I truly believe it will naturally follow that when we begin to remember all He has helped us with and thru then we will also begin to hold fast to our hope and faith in all that He will still accomplish through us and for us in our days, weeks and years to come. So today let us each raise our own Ebenezer and take it a day at a time remembering that God is helped us thus far and He will continue to grant His promises for our lives as we continue to set our hopes in Him.  I pray for each of you today that you are able to really see God's victories in your life that thus far HE has helped you achieve.  I pray you are blessed and protected and surrounded by His love, joy and peace.  Please join me in continuing our prayers Summer and her family, for our military and their families, and for each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Love through Christ,

Niki

 

Hymn: Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing @ http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/o/comethou.htm