I’ve been listening to this beautiful hymn, O Thou Fount of every Blessing, originally penned by Robert Robinson in 1758, beautifully rendered by Chris Tomlin in this current version. It got me thinking and I decided to look up the word Ebenezer to understand the line “Here I raise my Ebenezer”

I discovered that in 1 Samuel chapter 7, the Israelites were facing a battle with the Philistines. Samuel instructed them to turn away from their false gods and repent to God. So they did as they were told.

So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only.

1 Samuel 7:3-4

Samuel then interceded on their behalf, they fasted and called upon the Lord. When they heard that the Philistines were coming up to attack them they were afraid and 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.” ⁹ Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.

1 Samuel 7:8-9

And the Lord answered them! He delivered them in their time of trouble, and Samuel set up a stone and called it Ebenezer saying “The Lord has Helped Us”

This is such a beautiful illustration of how we ought to SEEK God, how we ought to PETITION Him and ultimately, how we ought to HONOUR Him when He helps us.

We no longer need to go via a prophet as the Israelites did, not do we need the sacrifice of animals, but we do need to return to God and sincerely seek Him, Worship and Pray to Him in the name of Jesus our Lord and Saviour, and He will surely help us.

I lift up my eyes to the hills– where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 

Psalm 121:1-4

Listen to this beautiful song and may you experience the love of God as you worship Him today