Introduction

Welcome, beloved family of God. We are here together, nestled under the wings of His grace, gathered in the unity of His love, and ready to be nourished by His Word. Indeed, our hearts are like fertile soil, yearning for the seeds of wisdom and understanding to be sown. We are like the tree planted by the rivers of water, ready to bring forth fruit in due season.

Today, we turn our hearts and minds to a powerful passage found in 1 Samuel 7:12. It says, "Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, 'Thus far the Lord has helped us.'"

This is a profound declaration, a testament of God's faithfulness to His people. Samuel, a man of God, recognized the divine assistance they had received. He acknowledged the hand of God in their journey, and in gratitude, he erected a stone of remembrance, an Ebenezer.

But why an Ebenezer? Why a stone of remembrance? The answer, dear brothers and sisters, lies in our human nature. We are forgetful beings, prone to losing sight of the blessings we've received, especially in the face of trials and tribulations. But Samuel, in his wisdom, gives us a timeless reminder: to look back and remember God's past provisions, to pray for His present power, and to promise future faithfulness.

Charles Spurgeon, the prince of preachers, once said, "Memory is very treacherous about the best things; by a strange perversity engendered by the fall, it treasures up the refuse of the past and permits priceless treasures to lie neglected, it is tenacious of grievances and holds benefits all too loosely."

Pondering Past Provisions

In the book of 1 Samuel, we find Samuel setting up a stone, a simple, unadorned stone. But this stone was not just any stone. It was a stone of remembrance, a physical symbol of God's faithfulness. It was a testament to the divine assistance they had received, a marker of God's past provisions.

This act of Samuel's was not just a random act. It was a deliberate, intentional act. He chose a stone, a lasting, enduring object, to serve as a reminder of God's past provisions. It was a tangible, visible sign of God's faithfulness, a constant reminder of His divine assistance.

And this is something we can all learn from. We too can set up our own "stones of remembrance", our own markers of God's past provisions. We can create physical reminders of His faithfulness, tangible signs of His divine assistance. These reminders can serve as a constant source of encouragement, a constant source of hope, a constant source of strength.

But setting up these reminders is not enough. We must also take the time to ponder on these past provisions, to reflect on God's faithfulness. We must remember the times He carried us through the storm, the times He provided for our every need, the times He showed us His unfailing love.

This act of remembering is not just about looking back. It's about looking back with gratitude, with thankfulness. It's about recognizing God's hand in our lives, acknowledging His divine assistance. It's about seeing His faithfulness, His provision, His love in every situation, in every circumstance.

And as we ponder on these past provisions, as we reflect on God's faithfulness, we will find our faith strengthened, our hope renewed, our love deepened. We will find ourselves more able to trust in His present power, more able to remain faithful to Him in the future.

But this act of pondering, this act of reflecting, this act of remembering, is not just for ourselves. It's also for others. It's for those who are struggling, those who are doubting, those who are hurting. It's for those who need to see God's faithfulness, those who need to experience His provision, those who need to feel His love.

By sharing our stories of God's past provisions, by sharing our "stones of remembrance", we can encourage others, we can strengthen their faith, we can renew their hope, we can deepen their love. We can show them God's faithfulness, His provision, His love. We can show them that He is a God who provides, a God who helps, a God who loves.

Praying for Present Power

As we continue to immerse ourselves in the richness of God's Word, we find ourselves drawn to the present moment, to the here and now ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO