1 Samuel 7:12-13
12 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.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again. Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines.
REFERENCES: Deuteronomy 4:9; 6:10-12; 8:11-14; 2 Timothy 1:7, Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 58:11-12,John 14:25-27
Have you forgotten something important and it cost you dearly? The Israelites forgot about God's faithfulness, which resulted in the Ark being stolen during a battle with the Philistines. Eventually, the Ark of the Covenant was returned, however, the Israelites’ arrogance and worship of false idols, led to their devastation yet again. The Philistines returned to attack their nation, but God heard the cries of his people through Samuel, and came to their rescue. As a reminder of God's deliverance, Samuel set up Ebenezer, meaning “stone of help,”. We too can reminisce on memories of how God has provided for us in the past so that we will not forget that His mercies endure forever.
You can forget a lot of things, but do not forget God
Fear can overtake and even paralyze us, but remember fear is not a feeling, it is a spirit. It is a spirit we are called to confront with the power of the Holy Spirit.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
We need God’s presence in and through what we endure. Be reminded of your past dependence on God in your life that permits you to trust His future promises and provision.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight
Our human nature is to forget, but God wants to remind us to remember. How we end one season is how we start the next, and the same God who brought us to this point will lead us into a new season. Are we walking with fear or faith? Do we need explanations or are we operating in trust? As we pause to remember that God’s mercy, goodness, and kindness have followed us all of our days, our trust will be deepened and faith will be strengthened. We can rest assured that our God is a promise keeper — he was faithful then, and he will be faithful now.
Remember the times God has been faithful and you’ve made him a promise. Bring back to memory those promises and follow through. Moving forward, write out any promises you make to God.
Last CTA… share if you:
Memorized The Lord’s Prayer (found in Luke 11:2-4 and Matthew 6:9-13). How did God’s presence in your life make a difference these past 2 weeks
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We live in the tension of present hard times and coming good times. In this gap, our faith is formed. The gathering of the saints produces perseverance for you to run your race of faith. VOUSCon is this moment.
June 20-22
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