From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD. Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Astartes from among you. Direct your heart to the LORD, and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." So Israel put away the Baals and the Astartes, and they served the LORD only. Then Samuel said, "Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you." So they gathered at Mizpah, and drew water and poured it out before the LORD. They fasted that day, and said, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. When the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it they were afraid of the Philistines. The people of Israel said to Samuel, "Do not cease to cry out to the LORD our God for us, and pray that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines." So Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD; Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him. As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel; but the LORD thundered with a mighty voice that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion; and they were routed before Israel. And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them down as far as beyond Beth-car.

-1 Samuel 7:2-12 (NRSV)

MY granddaughter began reading aloud from an old hymnbook, "Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by thy help I'm come."* She stopped and asked, "Grandma, what does Ebenezer mean?" Together, we discovered that an Ebenezer is a kind of memorial made of stones; it symbolizes God's help and guidance.

My granddaughter and I talked together about things that remind us of God's love. We remembered the story of Jacob's dream and God's promise to bless him. (See Gen. 28:10-22.) Jacob poured oil over the stone he had used as a pillow and set it apart as a memorial of his encounter with God. We read about Joshua leading the tribes of Israel across the Jordan River. (See Josh. 4.) A representative from each tribe carried a stone from the middle of the river, and Joshua set them up together as a permanent reminder of God's care.

We, too, can have "Ebenezers." It is good at times to look back -- to how we came to know God, to healing, to answered prayers -- and to remember that God who was mightily present at those times walks with us day by day as our guide and our help.

Elvie Klein (Queensland, Australia)

Prayer Focus

Grandparents