10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car.
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.”
Samuel set up a stone and named it Ebenezer, meaning “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” It was a physical, public act of memory. The stone said: we were here, God moved, and we will not forget. Every church that has walked with God through 40 years has its Ebenezers — moments so unmistakably His that forgetting them would be unfaithfulness. Today, we raise our own stone.
Write down 3-5 specific ways God has helped you or this church over the years. If you can, share one of your Ebenezer stories with a younger believer this week. Prayerfully ask God for someone who needs to know that God has always been faithful here, and share with them a story of God’s faithfulness.
Lord of every Ebenezer, thank You for every moment of breakthrough, provision, healing, and rescue. We set up our stone today and say: thus far, You have helped us. And we trust You for all that is still ahead. Amen.
share this devotional: