Ebenezer Stones

Mike mentioned that he would like to keep track of ways that the Lord provides for us. I try to blog and keep a written record of the ways the Lord provides, but we wanted to be sure that over the years, we can pinpoint specific events. It is not only a good way for us to see the hand of God moving in our marriage and family, but also to have tangible encouragement for when things are hard.

One of my favorite hymns is "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing." There is a line in the second verse "Here I raise mine Ebenezer, hither by they help I'm come" that is taken from a passage in 1 Samuel 7. The Israelites had walked in disobedience for a long time, but under the leadership of Samuel repented and turned their hearts back to the Lord. When their commitment was tested by an attack by the Philistines, they cried out to God and He answered them. Samuel placed a large stone in that place, a public monument to God's help, faithfulness, and everlasting covenant. It was a visible reminder to all who passed by of judgment and repentance, mercy and restoration, grace and provision.

"Samuel took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer—'the stone of help'—for he said, 'Up to this point the Lord has helped us!'" ~ 1 Samuel 7:12, NLT

So we decided to begin recording our own family "Ebenezer Stones." We will record our monuments to God's faithfulness in a family journal, but we will also begin collecting actual stones as our visual representation. For now, we will collect them in this basket, but over the years, I hope to collect enough to create our own rock garden.

Samuel knew how forgetful the people were. At Ebenezer, the Israelites could stand in front of the large stone and remind themselves of the incredibly faithful God they served. We are just as forgetful, so Mike and I want to be able to stand next to our collection of stones and remind ourselves of God's incredible faithfulness and provision.