Me,God and The Olive Tree: Here I raise my Ebenezer

Me,God and The Olive Tree: Here I raise my Ebenezer: Samuel 7 vs 10-12 (the message) While Samuel was offering the sacrifice, the Philistines came within range to fight Israel. Just t...

Here I raise my Ebenezer

Samuel 7 vs 10-12 (the message)

While Samuel was offering the sacrifice, the Philistines came within range to fight Israel. Just then God thundered, a huge thunderclap exploding among the Philistines. They panicked—mass confusion!—and ran helter-skelter from Israel. Israel poured out of Mizpah and gave chase, killing Philistines right and left, to a point just beyond Beth Car. Samuel took a single rock and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it "Ebenezer" (Rock of Help), saying, "This marks the place where God helped us."

What an important declaration. ‘This marks the place where God has helped us!’ What a faith builder to look back on our lives and see these points where ‘like a thunder clap God stepped in.’

I have a book where I have kept account of everything God did for me last year and there were points where he really did step in like a thunder clap. How encouraging it is to look back at what God has done and to build my faith up to believe that he will continue to step in like a thunderclap when I need him.

I know it is important to thank God for what he has done for us and to give him the praise and the glory, when as a family we have prayers answered I always say to the kids remember to thank God. I want it to be second nature to thank God and for them not to go to him with a shopping list expecting everything, like they do to their earthly father!

But I believe this act of setting our Ebenezer stone is about much more than just thanking God. It is a declaration in the face of the enemy!

Reading 1 Samuel 7 it seems that when it was all kicking off Samuel was offering the sacrifice and crying out to God on Israel’s behalf.

Vs 8 They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” 

They were panicking and they were scared...remind you of situations in your life? I know it does me.

I picture Samuel on his knees praying about the situation, offering the sacrificial lamb keeping calm and crying out to God. Oh to be more like Samuel than the Israelite's!

It was whilst Samuel was offering the lamb and crying out to God on Israel’s behalf that God stepped in.

At the start of the chapter we see Israel turning back to the Lord and doing away with their false idols and deciding to only follow God.  Isn’t it true that when we come to God and when we say we need him and only him and we ask for forgiveness that we see a change? When we come to the altar and truly sacrifice ourselves, our dreams, hopes and our plans. When we lay it all out before him and say God no longer can I do this on my own then BANG he steps in! I know I have certainly found that at points in my life I can see that connection. Chaos can be reigning all around me and I am trying to fight it on my own and nothing changes but when I let go and hand it all over God steps in.

It also helps to have a Samuel crying out to God on your behalf :-) I have some great friends that over the years have got on their knees before God and really prayed for me and my family.

So back to the chapter...

God steps in like a mighty thunder clap and sends confusion to the philistines. I think he also gave the Israelite's strength in battle and they gained the victory. Just like when God steps in for us he gives us the strength to fight the battle we are in and the tools to succeed.

Samuel knew how important it was to mark this occasion, to mark the point where Israel turned to God and God stepped in. He knew how important it was to say 'this marks the point where the Lord helped us.'

But the chapter doesn’t end there...

God continued to be with them and it marked a turning point. From this point on there was peace and restoration in Samuels lifetime.

vs13-14 ‘So the Philistines were subdued and they stopped invading Israel’s territory. Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines. The towns from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to Israel, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.’

I wonder about the stuff that's not written. Did the Israelite's look back at the Ebenezer stone and marvel at what God did? When trouble came did they panic again or did they look at the place where God helped them?

Last year I raised my Ebenezer stone and I often look back and marvel at the time that God stepped into my situation and gave me the victory and fulfilled his promises.

When we move into our new house one of the first things we are going to do is place a physical statue in the garden. An Ebenezer stone. How amazing to sit and look out and remember ‘This marks the place where God helped us'. When tough times come and moments of doubt, how brilliant to look and remember ‘this far the lord has helped us’ and to remember the old saying God hasn’t brought me this far to leave me.

The other thing the Ebenezer stone will remind me of is that God stepped in for a reason and there was a reason I cried to him for his help. And those times where I may be in danger of stepping back into the driving seat of my life and moving God over, I will look at that stone and remember God steps in when I step out!

1.    Come, thou Fount of every blessing, 
 tune my heart to sing thy grace; 
 streams of mercy, never ceasing, 
 call for songs of loudest praise. 
 Teach me some melodious sonnet, 
 sung by flaming tongues above. 
 Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, 
 mount of thy redeeming love. 

2. Here I raise mine Ebenezer; 
 hither by thy help I'm come; 
 and I hope, by thy good pleasure, 
 safely to arrive at home. 
 Jesus sought me when a stranger, 
 wandering from the fold of God; 
 he, to rescue me from danger, 
 interposed his precious blood. 

3. O to grace how great a debtor 
 daily I'm constrained to be! 
 Let thy goodness, like a fetter, 
 bind my wandering heart to thee. 
 Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, 
 prone to leave the God I love; 
 here's my heart, O take and seal it 
 seal it for thy courts above. 

David Crowder band sing Come Thou Font

Me,God and The Olive Tree: How can I keep from singing your name!

Me,God and The Olive Tree: How can I keep from singing your name!: I love looking back at what God has done over the last year, I love looking through the Journal I kept this time last year and reading what ...

How can I keep from singing your name!

I love looking back at what God has done over the last year, I love looking through the Journal I kept this time last year and reading what was written, marvelling over the words God spoke through his word, through friends, through the ministry of Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo and seeing how those words have now been outworked and fulfilled in my life. I love recalling my testimony for other people, to help build their faith. It has been truly amazing. 
God has changed my life around. As well as restoring my marriage, my family, providing me with a secure and rewarding job, selling our house, providing us with an amazing new one, he has also grown my faith and my relationship with him more in the last two years than in my 25 years of knowing him. But above everything he has also give me the strength and the hope needed to live as a mum of a child with a progressive illness. He has given us laughter in the darkest of places and calm amongst the storm. He hasn't take Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy from us, my son does have a limited life span and his muscles are wasting BUT what God has done has given us Joy in spite of this. He has given my son a courage and the most simplistic faith that I know will get him through whatever he has to deal with. 
At church we sing a gorgeous song entitled How can I keep from singing your name, by Chris Tomlin I felt like raising the roof, the lyrics are so precious.

Here is an endless song
Echoes in my soul
I hear the music ring

And though the storms may come
I am holding on
To the rock I cling

How can I keep from singing Your praise
How can I ever say enough
How amazing is Your love
How can I keep from shouting Your name
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to sing

I will lift my eyes
In the darkest night
For I know my Savior lives

And I will walk with You
Knowing You'll see me through
And sing the songs You give

How can I keep from singing your praise? How can I ever say enough, how amazing is your love? How can I keep from shouting your name? I know i am loved by the king, and it makes my heart want to sing

I can sing in the troubled times
Sing when I win
I can sing when I lose my step
And fall down again
I can sing 'cause You pick me up
Sing 'cause You're there
I can sing 'cause You hear me, Lord
When I call to You in prayer
I can sing with my last breath
Sing for I know
That I'll sing with the angels
And the saints around the throne
how can i keep from singing your praise how can i ever say enough how amazing is your love how can i keep from shouting your name a know i am loved by the king and it makes my heart i am loved by the king and it makes my heart i am loved by the king and it makes my heart want to sing

And no matter what 2012 will hold good or bad, whether it be walking on the mountains or trudging through the valleys, I pray I keep on singing. above everything else I am loved by the King of Kings and that alone is a reason to keep singing and one day it will be with him.