my Ebenezar, is a phrase in a beautiful hymn - Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing - written by Robert Robinson in 1758.
I remember playing this hymn at morning prayers, Chapel, and special services, those long years ago when I played the organ and piano. I always wondered at the fervor that automatically crept into the voices of the congregation...but never really thought about the words...
Yesterday, I came across this phrase in one of my readings and was struck by its meaning, and of how relevant it is in our lives today...
Delving deeper, this is what I found in the Bible, in the First Book of Samuel, Chapter 7. Samuel and the Israelites were under attack from the Philistines. Samuel offered a sacrifice to God and prayed for His protection. God heard Samuel's prayer and caused the Philistines to lose the battle and retreat. After the victory, "Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezar, saying, 'Thus far the Lord has helped us'" (Verse 12).
Ebenezar is a Hebrew word which means 'stone of help'. It is a recognition, set in stone as it were, of God's help in the time of trouble, or in some battle that we are engaged in...It is an acknowledgement of God's help.
How many times the good Lord has helped us....if we raise our Ebenezars we will realize how grateful we need to be. We will also be consciously aware that He always comes to our aid. The next time we come out of some internal or even external struggle, no matter how tiny, let's raise an Ebenezar...It will help us to go on...
(You could use small pebbles, or shells, or buttons...just something to mark the successful end to something you are battling...)