Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” (1 Samuel 7:12, NIV)
Golf and aging present some challenges. Thus far, we can still play and enjoy the flight of the ball. Thus far, though I cannot play as I once did, I have had a full life on the links, and now I am ready to move on, be grateful for the past, and look to the future with hope.
I will now have time to do other important things. Maybe the shorter drives and higher scores will lead us to value God’s Kingdom and His people even more.
We remain on the trail as He prepares the way ahead, and we gain confidence as we look back on His provision. Thus far, the Lord has helped us.
In 1 Samuel 7, the Israelites had had a rough 20 years. The ark of the covenant had been in Kiriath-Jearim, and their sin weighed them down, and they worshipped other idols, and the Philistines terrorized them.
They needed God and needed to repent, so God provided someone to lead the way: 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.”
Deliverance! A turning point! The Israelites repented, obeyed, and returned to God. They all gathered at Mizpah to worship Him, and Samuel offered a sacrifice to God on their behalf.
But the Philistines took notice and saw an opportunity to eradicate them all in one place. So, these people who had just repented and turned to God were now surrounded by the Philistines.
The Israelites were terrified and pleaded with Samuel. 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” (1 Samuel 7:8).
So, Samuel prayed. Imagine that. He just prayed. God threw all the Philistines into confusion, and they attacked one another. Imagine that great victory. Samuel prayed. God provided.
The heart of the message is found in verse 12: Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
Ebenezer became a memorial to God’s faithfulness and blessing, forever reminding Israel how God had delivered them—not because of their strength but because of His.
How are we victorious over the tumultuous events that come our way? Remember the text above: “Samuel just prayed.” He cried out, and God heard his plea. The battle was won not by superior ground troops but by confusing the enemy! God provides many Ebenezers and has many ways of doing so. What a God we have!
What are some of your Ebenezers? What are your stones of remembrance that God provided? Think of them right now and be grateful for “thus far.”
Twenty-one years ago, I was saved but lost my way and did not see the trail ahead. I, too, cried out to God to show me the way. Eleven months later, He brought me to my life’s calling—this beautiful golf ministry for the last twenty years.
He reminded me, “Thus far I have helped you, and the best is yet to be.” My love for Him has grown stronger. I am just following the Leader, Christ the Lord.
So, be patient. Patience really means dependence. Thus far, our dependence on our Savior has been both a joy and an awakening. Amen.
Prayer: Yes, you are the Lord of “thus far” and “forever more.”