“Samuel took a large stone and set it up as a monument between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah and called the name of it Ebenezer—‘the stone of help’—for he said, ‘Up to this point the Lord has helped us!’ ” —1 Samuel 7:12 NEB
The Israelites, through the prayers of Samuel and by the power of Almighty God, had just experienced a great victory against the Philistines. Samuel took a stone and raised it as a reminder to all who saw it that God is mighty to save and greatly to be praised. What’s interesting to me is the precursor to the victory in battle was that the children of Israel had repented of their worship of other gods and had returned to worship alone the One True God with their whole heart and mind. {I Samuel 7:2-4}
God desires our worship. But He’s not interested in double mindedness. He wants ALL our worship with all that is within us. Even now He calls you & I to turn from our idols and to worship Him alone. The same God who delivered the Hebrew children from emerging blood thirsty Philistines is able to rescue us…IF only we will turn from idols and commit our whole heart and mind to worshipping Him.
When is the last time you examined the other gods in your path that keep you from giving Him your all? What idols stand between you and a heart of pure worship? Is it material possessions? Your vocation? That next promotion? Your 401K or other dwindling assets? A relationship? Or the longing for a relationship? Your children? Obsession over your image or your physical appearance? Anything that we esteem more than our relationship with Christ quickly becomes an idol.
In my time alone with Him today on the beach I asked the Lord again to show me the idols in my life that have taken His rightful place on the Throne of my heart. In repenting & surrendering of my lesser gods, I was free to worship the Lord with a pure and holy passion. In gratitude I raised my Ebenezer.
I wasn’t trying to “outdo” Samuel with numerous “Ebenezers”. I simply had much to be grateful for and hence, got a bit carried away. But my ensuing art gallery on the beach afforded me several opportunities to tell others of the goodness of the Lord. I was able to testify to numerous people today…“GOD ROCKS” !
Livin4Jesus 