It was a Tuesday morning and like every other morning, I woke up, made a cuppa and started my routine of getting ready for work. Like every morning, I had a song playing in the background. If you ask my wife, she’ll confirm I often play music in the morning either softly for calmness or with the decibels slightly on the higher end to energise my mind and get me excited for the day. What was different this day was the song I had chosen. It was out of the usual rotation of songs I had, which made my wife comment, “I haven’t heard you play this song in ages!” It definitely had been some years since I had queued the song “First and the Last”, from in Hillsong Worship’s 2009 album Faith + Hope + Love. It opens:
You are the first and the last, beginning and the end.
As the distinct lead line on the guitar cut through the home’s atmosphere and the melody resounded from my phone speaker, my mind was transported back to a season where this song was a frequent hit. Memories of living in south Queensland, teaching and serving at church came to the forefront of my mind. Past times and challenges also bubbled up to the surface. As I continued packing my bag for work and preparing my lunch, I couldn’t help but think of the song like an Ebenezer.
The promise of wonders to come, the future is in your hands
The story of the Ebenezer can be read in 1 Samuel 7. In the story, the Israelites have repented, realising that they have strayed away from their covenant with God. As a result, the Philistines had dominated and oppressed God’s chosen nation. As Samuel led the Israelites who had gathered for congregational repentance, word came to them that the Philistines were marching on them. So, the Israelites did what they had always done in times like this: they cried out to God. Samuel prayed and God moved, sending a mighty storm to scatter the Philistines. Following the storm, the Israelites rallied, chased down their enemies and won a stunning victory.
Calling the light with all the Earth we will sing
Samuel wanted to commemorate this moment—to make it real for the people and help them remember who God was. So, he organised a stone to be placed along a frequently travelled road, named it “Ebenezer”—the “stone of help”—so that whoever travelled by would see this memorial and remember when God had saved Israel. People would see it, turn to their travelling companions and say, “Remember that time we were all gathered and the Philistines attacked us? Then Samuel prayed in response to our cries and God moved in a mighty way and delivered us. God is so good!”
I also imagine that generations would pass and as later people travelled the road, the young would turn to their elder and query, “Why is that stone there?” To which the elder would smile and with fondness reply, “Well, it’s a memorial of a time when God moved and delivered us, and He will do the same thing in your lifetime as well.” I imagine a passionate retelling following this potential conversation from the passers-by.
You are the author of love, our freedom is in Your name
This song that accompanied my morning routine played the role of the Ebenezer, the stone of help. It helped focus my thoughts on a time that was peaceful. A time not without its challenges, but a time that also shaped me to become who I am today. A time of starting my family and experiencing the blessings that go with it. The gratitude of a season past quickly moved to a knowledge that God today is the same as He was in that time. God is still working, still providing, still sovereign. The knowledge morphed and flowed into a feeling of joy, which moved to a string of words prayed silently, “Thank You, God.”
Embracing the cross there for us, brought us to life again
More than ever, we are living an increasingly connected life—a life where we are able to do something at any time. The modern pace of life demands we hustle, progress to achieve success. When we do have a spare moment, we can catch ourselves pulling out that familiar piece of technology in our pocket and filling the space with distraction (don’t worry, we’ve all been there in some way). Although I was listening to music while doing my morning routine, the thought of listening to that song came from a moment of quiet, a moment where I could let my thoughts flow without being interrupted. The song then was able to work as a personal Ebenezer, which I believe was prompted by the Spirit. When we are present in the quiet moments with our thoughts, we can be led by the Spirit, discovering what God has in store for us daily.
Calling the love with all we are let us sing
So, what are the Ebenezers you have built in your life? What songs can you listen to and relive a past season when God moved? What photos or pictures can you meditate on to remember that God was with you every step of the way? Who can you call on to share memories of committing your heart to Jesus during those summer camp days? Or maybe you need to read that journal you tucked away on your bookshelf or scroll down to those phone notes of prayers that are still in the cloud.
Find your Ebenezers and take stock of their forms. Create space and quiet where they can work effectively. Anchor them in places where you can remember that God is still healing, still moving, still working—that God is still the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Ryan Vogel is the director of music at Avondale University Church.
