Written by Dynamis Ministries | October 20, 2022
In any given Sunday in churches across the globe, people gather in worship and sing the timeless hymn, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. It’s a beautiful song with rich lyrics, but there is one verse in particular that has significant meaning:
“Here I raise my Ebenezer, Here by Thy great help I’ve come”
You might be humming the melody even as you read this! Yet even though it’s familiar, many have wondered what this lyric really means. The idea of an Ebenezer actually comes from an Old Testament passage in the Bible. 1 Samuel 7 retells a story of how God saved the Israelites from the Philistines. In response to this victory, the prophet Samuel placed a stone at the spot where God’s people defeated their enemy as a symbol to remember God’s deliverance. The stone was called Ebenezer, which literally translates to “stone of help.”
Samuel established this Ebenezer as a memorial so that every time the people of Israel saw the stone, they would be reminded of God acting on their behalf, stirring in them praise and thanksgiving. This memorial is just one of many of the customs, practices and celebrations the people of Israel expressed as they walked with God. There is a rich history in our Christian faith that can sometimes get lost in modern day. The people of God in OT times are a gift to us in how to structure our lives around our covenant-keeping God.
This aspect of our faith can continue today in many ways. One way we can do this is through our giving. Giving is an act of worship and can be done as a response to God acting on our behalf. It’s easy to miss it because giving today has become so convenient and practical through the use of technology. While this does provide a lot of ease and organization to our giving, it may also take away the remembrance that can occur when we do give. Let’s not lose sight that our giving is a response of thanksgiving for all the ways God has helped us.
Every time we experience God’s help in our lives, we can mark it with a gift, with an Ebenezer that signifies God’s guidance and rescue. Consider the many ways God demonstrates his help and deliverance. Some of us have experienced God’s healing from a serious illness. Some of us have been blessed with the gift of a child after years of struggling to conceive. Some of us have landed gainful employment out of tough times. Some of us have found new friends out of a lonely season. The list goes on and on! There are countless ways God shows up with his help.
What if we started the habit of giving an Ebenezer financial gift in response to specific times when God helps us? It would be a tangible act of worship that gives glory to God and shows him our heartfelt gratitude. And just think, it would “pay it forward” for others to receive God’s help, causing them to remember the goodness of God. In this way, we can literally raise our own Ebenezers with a gift and joyfully sing, “Here by Thy great help I’ve come!”
Photo Credit: Anukrati Omar
