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Ebenezer
“Stones of Help”
Ebenezer
Equestrian Park is a wonderful campground for the avid
trail rider, located on the south shore of Sam Rayburn
Reservoir, approximately 23 miles northwest of Jasper,
Texas. This beautiful campground is surrounded by
towering pines and a pristine lake with white shores
that are perfect for swimming your horse, around it,
miles and miles of wooded trails. Ebenezer is also a
frequent camping spot for the Trail Gaiters & Friends
Riding Club.
There is
also another place known as Ebenezer, meaning “Stones of
Help” found in I Samuel 7:12-14. This scripture reads,
“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah
and Jeshanah, and named it Ebenezer, for he said, ‘Thus
far the Lord has helped us.’ So the Philistines were
subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel,
and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all
the days of Samuel.” The town that the Philistines had
taken from Israel was restored to Israel, from Ekron to
Gath, and Israel recovered their territory from the hand
of the Philistines. There was peace between Israel and
the Amorites.
This
event took place after Samuel spoke to Israel saying,
“If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then
put away the foreign gods, prepare your hearts for the
Lord and serve Him only, He will deliver you from your
enemy the Philistines.” And it happened as the
Philistines drew near to battle against Israel, that
the Lord thundered with a loud thunder upon them. And
He sent confusion on them and Israel struck them down.
Today,
literally speaking, an Ebenezer is a “Stone of Help”, or
a reminder of God’s real, holy presence, and divine
aid. An Ebenezer can be nearly anything that reminds us
of God’s presence and help: the Bible, the Sacramental
Elements, a cross, a picture, a fellow believer, a hymn
– those things which serve as reminders of God’s real
presence, and His assistance.
Today,
the Lord will do the same for us, if we return to the
Lord with all our hearts and put away the foreign gods
and idols, and prepare our hearts for the Lord and serve
Him only! Today, He will still deliver us from the hand
of the enemy. Today, He will still be our ever present
in time of trouble.
Thought
for the day: Reflect on your Ebenezer, “Stone of
Help”. His presence and help is always there to help
through those difficult times when we come to the Lord
and serve Him.
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