Life Plan Devotion #38 [Ebenezer]

Yesterday's devotion was about regrets and how we should confess them to the Lord, gain forgiveness for them, learn from them, and then let them go, rather than continue to think and talk about past regrets. However, there are some things from the past that we must not forget. We must remember our Ebenezer.
Ebenezer--I'm not talking about Ebenezer Scrooge, from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. No, for this Ebenezer, you must go back several thousand years, to a decisive battle between the Israelites and the Philistines. Following that battle, the grateful Israelites set up a stone as a reminder of the Lord's help in the battle. They called that stone "Ebenezer," which means "Stone of Help," and every time the people looked at the stone, they were reminded of how God rescued them from their enemies.
Look back on your own life. What battles have you faced? How did God help you? Did He fight alongside you? Did He fight for you? God is faithful. He is our true Ebenezer, our help in life's challenges. He has helped us through, has answered prayer, and given us strength. May we never forget, and may we be eternally grateful.

I Samuel 7:12-13 [NIV]
"Samuel took a stone and set it up... He named it Ebenezer, saying, 'Thus far has the LORD helped us.' So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again."

What this has to do with weight loss: The weight-loss journey can sure be a battle ground, and losing weight a huge battle. However, you do not have to fight it alone. God wants to be your Helper, to fight that battle with and for you. Be sure to let Him do that, for if you do, you will be victorious, and you will be a living memorial stone of how God helped you through.

Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, when I look back on the battles I have faced in my past, I am filled with thanksgiving to You, my Helper. There have been battles that You and I fought side by side. There have been battles that I could not fight, and You fought them for me. I am filled with gratitude to You, Faithful God. Help me to raise my Ebenezer, a memorial to Your faithfulness, and may my Ebenezer be a life lived in faithfulness to You. I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen."

Go forth today, a living Ebenezer to The Living Ebenezer.