‘There,’ says the architect, ‘this building is strong.’ Yes, sir, but it must be tested. Let the wind blow against it. There is a lighthouse out at sea. It is a calm night; I cannot tell whether the edifice is firm. The tempest must howl about it, and then I will know whether it will stand.
It is so with religion. If it were not on many occasions surrounded with tempestuous waters, we would not know that the ship was staunch and strong. If the winds did not blow on it, as they do on our poor brothers, we would not know how firm and secure it is. The master works of God are those that stand in the midst of difficulties—when all things oppose them, yet maintain their stand. These are his all-glorious works.
So his best children, those who honor him most, are those who have grace to sustain them amid the heaviest load of tribulations and trials. God puts his people into such circumstances, then, to show us the power of his grace.
–Charles Spurgeon
In life, we will go through many different trials and tests. Our faith is proven through these circumstances, but we cannot forget it as soon as life gets easier. So, how do we keep God at the center when we move from the wilderness to the promised land?
In Deuteronomy, we see the Israelites as they are nearing the entrance of the promised land. Deuteronomy, being the final book of the Pentateuch, or Torah, is the end of the journey that began in Exodus when Moses and the Israelites left Egypt. At the beginning of Joshua, the Israelites walked to the other side of the Jordan River into the promised land.
Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t blister or swell. Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.
“So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills. When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.
“But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.
Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Deuteronomy 8:2-14)
God knows what awaits you in the wilderness and knows how you will grow. God led Israel through the wilderness for forty years to humble and test them, revealing what was in their hearts and whether they would keep His commandments. Despite this, God was with them the whole way.. Yahweh was there.
Even Jesus had to spend some time in the wilderness. In Matthew 4, we see him get tested. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us. Not only is he with us every step of the way, but he also understands what it means to be fully human. God understands the depths of our sorrow and desperation, but doesn’t leave us. He’s always guiding us, always providing for us,
In order not to forget where God brought us from, many people like to have reminders. In the Old Testament, a lot of altars were built. Samuel once built a specific altar called an Ebenezer.
Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer (which means “the stone of help”), for he said, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us!”
Holy Bible: New Living Translation (1 Samuel 7:12)
Nowadays, we typically use normal stones less to build something that honors and worships God. But it is still very possible to have an Ebenezer, a reminder of God, your helper.
One of the most powerful stories that I have come across is the story of Horatio Spafford, who wrote the hymn “It Is Well With My Soul.” Spafford, who was not a minister, wrote one of the greatest hymns ever penned and did so after three of the greatest tragedies the average person would only face once. Prior to 1871, he lost a son. Then, in 1871, he lost his real estate investments in the Chicago fire. Finally, in 1873, he sent his wife and four daughters ahead of him on a trip to Europe. While at sea, their boat crashed with another vessel, and all four daughters perished. Despite this, because he had God guiding him, it was well with his soul.
Arriving on the other side of the desert is cause for celebration. But what should be celebrated is what God has done in your life. I’m still coming through a tough time in my life. I lost my first job in my desired career field when I had no financial security. I had to leave graduate school because the last few months at that job had caused my grades to slip. I lost a job that was my safety net because the business shut down. Despite this, I feel more at peace than I did a year ago. My recent struggles are nothing compared to what Spafford went through, but I hope that this blog can serve as my Ebenezer. I hope that you can also find a way to remind yourself of God’s blessings when he leads you through a desert.
I am most familiar with the concept of an Ebenezer from one of my favorite songs by my favorite artist. I’ve included a section here.
And I will build an altar
And stack it stone by stone
‘Cause every Ebenezer says I’ve never been alone
My faith will surely falter
But that don’t change what You’ve done
‘Cause every Ebenezer points to where my help comes from
—“Just As Good” by Chris Renzema and Ellie Holcomb, (Songwriters: Chris Renzema / Hank Bentley)
We must never allow ourselves to become distracted by our blessings and forget to thank God for what He has done. How will you celebrate God’s faithfulness in this season, knowing He’s been with you through every one before it?
Moments with Emmanuel 