We’re prone to the same human weaknesses as the generations that have come before us. God shows up on our behalf and brings us life as only he can. And while we’re deeply grateful in the moment, we soon forget. Finding ways to raise our Ebenezer is part of how we fight against our forgetfulness and remember all that God has done for us.
After God rescued Israel from the Philistines, the prophet Samuel erected a large stone to commemorate the divine victory, and he named the stone Ebenezer – meaning stone of help. It served as a tangible reminder of God’s deliverance and power on behalf of his people.
Apparently, Samuel knew just how forgetful the people were, and so he wanted to give them something concrete to hold on to – helping them to remember.
We need similar reminders still today. This is why we set up national monuments and statues, for example, to help us to remember important events in our history.
But our Ebenezers don’t always have to be on the corporate level. In fact, it might be just as important to mark what God has done in our individual life and relationships.
For instance, we might raise our Ebenezer after God has given us a personal victory over a past struggle with sin. The sin no longer has a stronghold in our life and we want to mark this occasion and forever remember it was God who has given us this victory.
This might also be the case after God delivers us from a particularly hard season in our marriage. He showed up and provided as only he could and so we raise our Ebenezer to remember what he did on our behalf.
Of course, our Ebenezer doesn’t have to be a literal stone. However, it should still be something tangible and concrete that doesn’t change – a fixed reminder of God’s work in our life.
In the end, don’t forget the good God has done on your behalf. Raise your Ebenezer and remember the many victories he has given you throughout your life and relationships.
Photo by Brina Blum on Unsplash
