God of Ebenezer
(1 Samuel 7:5-9, 12)

God chose Israelites as his people. Although He intended to achieve His will and to be glorified through them, they received the judgment of God because they continued to worship idols and to commit sins. However, God of love forgave their sins and became God of Ebenezer to help them, when they repented and came before God. The history of Israel gives a valuable spiritual lesson to us who are living today.

1. God who helps us when we repent
Due to idolatry, Israel was put under the oppressive rule of the Philistines, the tool of God's judgment. Samuel urges the people of Israel to come back to the Lord with all their heart if they want to get out of their oppression. This means getting rid of all idols of their lives and serving God only. What are idols for us today? Idols are all things that we love more than God. We need to remove all the idols situated in our lives. After the Israelites had assembled at Mizpah and repented of sins, rebuilding the relationship with God, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines. And He threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. When we repent, we will experience the grace of God to help us.

2. God who has thus far helped us
The Israelites, who won the battle with the Philistines, took a stone, set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and named it ‘Ebenezer’. This means “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” When we face a difficult situation, we should fix our eyes on God of Ebenezer who has helped us thus far. God who helped Israel is still with us now.

3. God who will always help us
Even after the stone of Ebenezer was set up, God prevented the Philistines from coming into the area of Israel, restored the territory of Israel which Israel had been deprived of, and helped them to enjoy the reign of peace in the land of Canaan. God's help does not exist only today. God who helped us yesterday and today will continue to help us in the future. God will continuously help us until you get to heaven.

God who is our helper is with us now. You are supposed to move forward, entrusting everything to God only with faith. Do not be discouraged, looking at what you are now. This is because if God of Ebenezer is with us, a beautiful and brilliant future is waiting for us.