“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” (1 Samuel 7:12)
Yesterday, we were invited over to our dear friends’ home to celebrate a very special day. God had just brought them through a tough time, but by His grace, they came through it very well. And so they wanted to have an Ebenezer Day “feast” to celebrate what God had done.
Together, we enjoyed a lovely picnic supper in their tree-surrounded yard, and swapped stories of what God has done for each of us. When we remember and tell the stories of what God has done (which is giving our testimonies), it increases our faith, and encourages us to keep going.
When our stories were done, our host read a passage from John 15. I remember the verses 1-4:
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser.Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” (John 15: 1-4)
Our fruitfulness comes from our connection to the vine (Jesus), and our Father God is the one who prunes us so that we can bear more fruit. He cuts things out of our lives that get in the way of our fruitfulness. Sometimes God limits our abilities in one area so that we can focus more on another area. But we know that this pruning is done out of love, and that He will bless us when we, in turn, produce fruit.
We were each given a rock and a stick of chalk, with instructions to write on it the things that God has done for us: The blessings, the lessons, and the help along the way. As so often happens, once I started specifically thinking of how God has helped us and blessed us, the first one was harder, but then more and more came to my mind.
The more I wrote, the more I remembered, and in a short time, my rock was covered on all sides with blessings and lessons from the Lord that have helped not only me, but our whole family over the past few weeks. I could have kept going, but there was only so much room!
When all of our rocks were covered, we piled the symbolic “Ebenezer” into their garden, as a remembrance of what God has done. It is a “stone of help,” (the literal meaning of Ebenezer), reminding everyone who sees it of the goodness of God. I was wishing we had done it in paint so that it wouldn’t wash off!
Last night before we left, we all sang “All the way my Savior leads me.”
“All the way my Savior leads me.
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt his tender mercy,
Who thru’ life has been my Guide?
Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in him to dwell!
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus fashions all things well.” –-Fanny Crosby
On the way home, we continued to talk about the Ebeneezer, and spoke of other things we might have written. Without a doubt, Jesus does, indeed, fashion all things well!
But often we don’t fully understand what He is doing until we look back, and then we get it. But faith is believing Him when we are looking forward, and taking steps He leads us to take, even when we aren’t sure how it’s going to work out.
Before the dinner yesterday, we were talking about our struggles with finding a home closer to Jim’s work at the Rescue Mission. While we were talking, Beau came to show me the picture that he had taken of “TJ,” who made himself at home in the birdbath.
When I saw him, I instantly heard the song in my mind, “There’s a place for us,” from West Side Story.
“There’s a place for us,
Somewhere a place for us.
Peace and quiet and open air
Wait for us, somewhere.”
–Stephen Sondheim
I don’t think God will want us live in a birdbath, but I am confident that He prompted TJ to jump in there so that he would be an object lesson. I also think God prompted me to remember those lyrics from a movie I last saw decades ago, just to encourage me. And it did!
God does have a place for us, and we will find it at the perfect time. I pray we will hear His voice and obey promptly when the time comes so that we can live out His will in our new place.
I encourage you to listen for sweet messages from the Lord as you go through life. He speaks to us in so many ways, the whispered encouragement of a friend, a snatch of a song from a passing car, a phrase as you are changing radio stations, and so many other ways. He is in charge of this world, and the whole world knows it. There is no place you can go that He cannot reach out to you with His loving kindness.
There is no such thing as luck or good fortune. Unexpected good things are due to the blessing and grace of our Heavenly Father, and He deserves the credit and all the glory. (When He does it, write it down! Make an Ebenezer so you won’t forget!)
God bless you, my friends! Never forget that God has a plan for each one of us, and He knows just what you are going through right now. He loves you so much, and His plans are for your good. So be encouraged. Much love to you!
The Fullers Four 