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Ebenezer
EBENEZER (Hebrew: Thus far has the Lord helped us) Lifted from the narrative of 1 Samuel 7 and used so powerfully in the second verse of Robert Robinson's hymn text "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" (18th century), this word reminds us that God's faithfulness in the past is a wonderfully appropriate foundation for our praise and worship in the present. Too often we would rather sing, "Here I raise my Ebenezer, hither by my hard work I've come" or " . . . hither by my intellect I've come" or even ". . . hither by my superior breeding (or good looks) I've come." That kind of self-worship (sin) is covered by the line "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love." NO! It is GOD'S faithfulness, forgiveness and mercy (in streams) that call for our thanksgiving and our "songs of loudest praise." What are the Ebenezers in your life? Have you ever taken a few minutes to write them down or to tell someone else about them? Have a great week. Chip Stam ///////////Full text///////// Come, thou Fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing thy grace; Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, Sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, Mount of thy redeeming love. Here I raise mine Ebenezer, Hither by thy help I'm 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. O to grace how great a debtor Daily I'm constrained to be! Let thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love; Here's my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for thy courts above. -- Robert Robinson, 1758 (1 Samuel 7:12) |