Ebenezer

On a rare occasion when my mind wasn't occupied with immediate needs or nap schedules or grocery lists I got to thinking about testimony. I enjoy the imagery of the Ebenezer which in Hebrew means 'stone of help'. Ebenezer Scrooge is from A Christmas Carol, but he was not helping stone. You might also know it as that weird word in the hymn 'Come Thou Fount': 'Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by Thy help I'm come; and I hope, by Thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.' It comes from the book of 1 Samuel when the prophet Samuel marks God's provision of help by raising up a stone of help ('[12] Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the LORD has helped us.” [1 Samuel 7:12 ESV]). It's a physical memorial established in remembrance of what God has done for His people.


In my life God has rescued me so many times it's overwhelming. Most recently it's been in an area of my life where I have experienced destruction for over 10 years. I haven't found a way to speak or write about the truth of God's rescue because I have such a small faith. I can't bring myself to step out in faith and say, 'God has done this' because I fear it will immediately return and my heart will be broken. But he has done it! I have had victory for months now and for those rescues God deserves, and I desire, to mark them with an Ebenezer.


It's small things too. We are constantly moving homes. I ask the Lord for grace to live in what he gives us but he also knows my heart for silly things like a big kitchen or pretty features. I have a beautiful place right now and I want to give God the glory for it. He is my help. He is my shelter. He is my provider. I am blessed by his small gifts to this girl. I know He matters more than a pretty house. He knows I breathe easier with a pretty house.


I'm mixing two ideas here. Testimony and remembrance. I think we need to tell others how God is working or providing, or blessing, or challenging our lives. These are our testimonies, our stories of our experience with God.We also need to testify to ourselves by remembering where God has brought us. Where we have come from, what we were when we did not place our faith in him, or what our lives are like because we do and in spite of what 'natural' circumstances would dictate. Our physical memorials-Ebenezers-to the Lord.


Granted, we must root our thoughts and experiences in the Scriptures. There are so many experiences that when sifted through the Word of God result in just empty warm fuzzies. Only the Word of God lasts forever.


I'm thinking of creating an Ebenezer art book of sorts. When God does something significant, whether it be a healing or providing a small, special things, if it speaks significantly to me I want to create an Ebenezer for it. Maybe write a short description of it and paste a photo or a symbol on the page. Then we can flip back through and remember God's provision, his help, Him, in all our trials and victories. These can be shared with others who we invite into our home to tell the story of God in our family. This would be a way to talk about my faith in Christ with someone that could open up discussion of faith matters.


Here, this blog, should be part of that. I hope to raise my Ebenezer with you in this new year. Will you join me?