Ebenezer

Generations of God's people have sung, "Here I raise my Ebenezer; hither by thy help I've come" without having a clue about what an "Ebenezer" is. Perhaps they picture Ebenezer Scrooge being hoisted up on a forklift, or perhaps they think it's like "raising your glass" in honor of someone, or perhaps they think nothing at all and just dutifully sing the words to "Come thou fount of ev'ry blessing."

In Hebrew, "eben" is "stone' and "ezer" is "help," so the word means "stone of help." It comes from 1 Samuel 7:2 -- "Then Samuel took a stone and set it up . . . and named it Ebenezer; for he said, "Thus far the Lord has helped us."

Setting up an Ebenezer is a prayer which says, "God, you've got a great track record; please keep up the good work!"

This is our "Ebenezer." We built it along a path on Quirpon Island on the tip of Newfoundland's great northern peninsula. We were seeking God's guidance on some important questions and wanted to affirm that the God who had guided us in the past could guide us again. We don't know if our "Ebenezer" is still there, but God did guide, and we are thankful.
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