“Thus far the LORD has helped us.” Why Would HE Stop Now?
- Have you ever looked up the word “ebenezer” or wondered what the word means?
- Have you read A Christmas Carol and wondered why author Charles Dickens gave his character Mr. Scrooge the first name ‘Ebenezer’?
- Have you read in the Bible the accounts of the prophet Samuel and wondered why the LORD led His servant to set up a stone, one given the name ‘Ebenezer”?
Maybe these three questions do not connect, but on this day, Christmas Eve 2025, the day we celebrate the birthday of my mother, I find it quite odd how this just happens to be the day when Dickens’ production was sold out on all store shelves in 1843.
- Why would so many want to read a story that recounts a stingy, elderly man who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley.
- Why would the world of 1843 be intrigued by the three ghosts that came to see Ebenezer, the ghosts: Christmas Past, Christmas Present & Christmas Yet to Come?
- Why would the word ‘ebenezer’ be the name given to the stone Samuel set up as a memorial, when the LORD subdued the Philistines?
“Now when the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel had gathered to Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel.
(The First Book of Samuel 7: 7-8 NASB)
And when the sons of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.
Then the sons of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”
Truthfully, I did not know the definition of ‘ebenezer’ or even wonder what the word meant. Neither did I ever wonder why Dickens gave his character Mr. Scrouge the first name ‘Ebenezer.’ Truly, I may have previously read Samuel’s account of the children of Israel’s battle with their enemy, the Philistines, but never did I read the narrative and wonder about the LORD leading Samuel to name a stone ‘Ebenezer’—that is until today, Christmas Eve.
- Have we ever been so frightened about a situation in our lives that we cried out, asking God for His help?
- Have we ever needed a memorial marker, a stone, to help us remember the LORD’S continued faithfulness—to always help us whenever we pray and ask?
Have we paused to ask ourselves these questions—
- Are we in danger of excluding the One who created us?
- Do we try to live our lives allowing God to have the small parts, to invite Him into our spaces when it’s convenient when we are afraid or when we feel most uncomfortable?
The Bible tells us how prophet Samuel sacrificed a small lamb and offered it as a burnt offering to the LORD. We read how Samuel cried out to the LORD and how the LORD heard His servant’s prayer and answered him. Finally, we see within this biblical narrative this miraculous event—
“Now Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, and the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel.
(The First Book of Samuel 7: 10-12 NASB)
But the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day against the Philistines and confused them, so that they were routed before Israel.
The men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines,
and struck them down as far as below Beth-car.
Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Ebenezer,
[The stone of help]
saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”
Zach Williams sings a melody “If God Lives Here” that speaks of the seasons of our lives when we feel worn-out, when we think God has stepped away from us. We may question: God are you still here? We may think: God are you hiding from me, from my prayers? We may be praying, but the LORD’S answers don’t seem to be coming as we hoped. We may think the LORD is really hiding from us, that HE has just checked out on us. We may even wonder if this whole ‘faith’ thing is even real.
My mom tells her children that when you feel alone and need to pray but the words just won’t even come, then repeatedly say—“JESUS. JESUS. JESUS. JESUS. JESUS. JESUS. JESUS. JESUS. JESUS. JESUS. JESUS. JESUS. JESUS. JESUS. JESUS. JESUS, and continue until we sense the peace to our souls that only JESUS can bring.”
- Thank you, mom, for reminding us how JESUS is our stone of help.
- Thank you, mom, for teaching us that JESUS is our Ebenezer.
- Thank you, mom, for allowing JESUS into your heart and life & leading us to do the same.
Happy Birthday, mom, on this Christmas Eve.
Thank you, mom, for reminding us of the Scripture: “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”
When life is busy, is filled with our grief, is overwhelming, or even when words will just not come as we pray, there are so many reasons to make room for JESUS.
Why Would HE Stop Now?
Whatever day of the year we may be walking through, let us cry out as the psalmist and proclaim—
“I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
(The Psalms 121: 1-8 NASB)
From where shall my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not smite you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The LORD will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in
From this time forth and forever.”