As we come to the end of yet another year, I want to challenge you with an activity for the end of this year, or for walking through the new year.
A few years ago, I started keeping track of God’s answers to prayer and His provision throughout the year. Then, on Christmas morning I will sit down with blank river rocks and a sharpie and I go through all of the many ways God has provided that year. I will write one on each side of a rock. Things such as answered prayers or just all of the reminders of his goodness.
The idea morphed from my work with gratefulness and listing all the amazing things God has done. However, when someone told me about Ebenezer’s it put a new spin on things. And before you ask, no not Ebeneezer Scrooge from the movie. That was my first thought…how can Ebenezer mean something good?
Here is the background for Ebenezers:
- Meaning: From Hebrew Eben (stone) and Ezer (help), meaning “Stone of Help” or “Thus far the Lord has helped us”. The term “Ebenezer” has become a symbol of acknowledging God’s help in the past and trusting Him for future assistance.
——————————————————————————————– - Context: Israel had previously lost battles and the Ark of the Covenant to the Philistines at a place also called Ebenezer (1 Samuel 4). In 1 Samuel 7:12, Samuel takes a stone and places it between Mizpah and Shen, naming it Ebenezer because “Thus far the Lord has helped us” after the Israelites defeated the Philistines.
——————————————————————————————– - The Monument: After a renewed Philistine attack, Samuel prayed and sacrificed, God intervened with thunder, and the Philistines were routed. Samuel then raised a stone to mark this new victory, declaring, “Thus far the LORD has helped us”. The stone was a physical marker to remember the great victory God had granted, so the Israelites would not forget His power and help.
——————————————————————————————– - Significance: It serves as a lasting reminder of God’s power to save and deliver, a bookmark for His faithfulness, and a symbol of turning past defeat into present victory.
——————————————————————————————–
In essence, Ebenezer marks a moment where God’s people remembered His past help and trusted in His continued presence and power for the future.
The phrase “Here I raise mine Ebenezer” in the hymn “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” uses the concept to represent a personal commitment to giving thanks for God’s past help and relying on Him for the future.
“Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”
(I sang this hymn growing up and had no idea of the meaning.)
I look forward to this special time with the LORD every Christmas, and I encourage you to sit down and do the same this year. Then, next year, my challenge to you is to keep track of all of God’s provision, answered prayers, goodness throughout the year. My guess is once you start, you’ll begin to run out of room, as I did, and begin to see His provision in even the tiniest of ways.
I like to put this years stones under the tree for the day and then I add them to my glass container that I keep on my dresser all year long. This year I will need to add a third vase to store them.
However you are spending Christmas I encourage you to stay close to Jesus – the real reason for the season, and make sure to make space and room for the One the season is all about – JESUS.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! See you in 2026!
Worship with Danny Gokey’s new song: The Moment the Whole World Changed
© 2025 All Rights Reserved. Susan M. Clabaugh with Encouragement in Daily Living LLC
Susan is an author and speaker who loves to share her journey of God’s redemption and encourage others as they look to God. As a former elementary teacher with a passion for teaching, Susan also owns her own tutoring and consulting business where she empowers students and parents in reading. She lives in Missouri with her adorable and grumpy Persian cat.
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