Verse of the Day 1/16

Verse of the Day 1/16

 

1 Samuel 7:12   Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen^[a] and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, "Till now the Lord has helped us."   English Standard Version (ESV)

 

I read today's verse in today's "Our Daily Bread" devotional.  It was not the focal point of the post, but what caught my attention was the last statement in the verse "till now the Lord has helped us."  The children of Israel had asked Samuel "do not cease to cry out to the Lord God for us".  They were in fear of impending attack from their enemies, the Philistines.

 

Samuel responded and prayed and made offerings to God and God delivered the people, after which Samuel set up the stone, the "Ebenezer", the stone of remembrance.  He wanted the people to remember this moment, that it would be remembered for generations to come.  It is where we draw the stanza from Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. 

 

Here I raise my Ebenezer
Here there by Thy great help I've 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

 

The song is for the now but looks back.  The modern translation above changes the word "hither" to "here there" by Thy great help I've come.  It is realizing that we are here standing by God's grace and gives us the hope that he will be there for us when we need Him, now and in the future.

 

"Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, " 1 Samuel 7:8  English Standard Version (ESV) 

Perhaps that is your prayer as you face an upcoming battle, physical or Spiritiual.  I know that it is mine. Seek the prayers of others, also be reminded of your Ebenezer's, your stones of remembrance of how God has brought you to this place, by His grace and how He will lead you on.

I'll close with the following verses which were the last ones in the read through the Bible plan which was in Matthew 11 this morning.

 

Matthew 11:28-29English Standard Version (ESV)

²⁸ Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

 

Blessings,

 

Mike

 

1 Samuel 7:7-14New Living Translation (NLT)

⁷ When the Philistine rulers heard that Israel had gathered at Mizpah, they mobilized their army and advanced. The Israelites were badly frightened when they learned that the Philistines were approaching. ⁸ "Don't stop pleading with the Lord our God to save us from the Philistines!" they begged Samuel. ⁹ So Samuel took a young lamb and offered it to the Lord as a whole burnt offering. He pleaded with the Lord to help Israel, and the Lord answered him.

¹⁰ Just as Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines arrived to attack Israel. But the Lord spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven that day, and the Philistines were thrown into such confusion that the Israelites defeated them. ¹¹ The men of Israel chased them from Mizpah to a place below Beth-car, slaughtering them all along the way.

¹² Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah.^[a] He named it Ebenezer (which means "the stone of help"), for he said, "Up to this point the Lord has helped us!"

¹³ So the Philistines were subdued and didn't invade Israel again for some time. And throughout Samuel's lifetime, the Lord's powerful hand was raised against the Philistines. ¹⁴ The Israelite villages near Ekron and Gath that the Philistines had captured were restored to Israel, along with the rest of the territory that the Philistines had taken. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites in those days.

 

 

Follow the verse of the day at mikesvotd.blogspot.com