I grew up in a church that only sang hymns, and my mom always sang them at home, so in that environment you find a few favorites. One that always stood out to me was Come Thou Fount. For 2 decades I sang this song, returned to the words, and found comfort in it, never even fully understanding the context. Then in college my appreciation for this hymn deepened when Will Good made it the focal point of his senior chapel (if I remember correctly). In that sermon, he explained what an Ebenezer was. The verse that references it in this song says this:
Here I raise my Ebenezer
Here by Thy great help I've come
And I hope by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
That sermon made me see the hymn (and God) in a new light, but as life moved forward, I would forget what an Ebenezer was. Even so, any time I would hear the hymn Come Thou Fount I would remember the impact that sermon had on me, I would remind myself to look Ebenezer up, and then I would move on, forgetting once more to do it.
Until the cancer diagnosis.
I have been gathering songs to return to when things feel heavy, reminders of who God is and what I need to shift my perspective, and a few months ago I heard one called Just As Good, by Chris Renzema. I immediately knew it needed to go on my playlist. When I first heard it, I was driving to Mercy for yet another hospital stay with Kris. It came on in a moment that I needed to hear from God and it is one I have returned to again and again. Outside of the incredibly powerful lyrics, the bridge is what gets me every time.
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
For two weeks this song has repeatedly come on at the exact moment I needed the reminders, and I was not listening to the playlist it was on. And every time I heard it I thought, "Finally I understand Ebenezer a little more, but I really need to look that up, cement it into my heart, and write about it." And then I wouldn't do it. I think I just wasn't ready to do it until today, when God made it abundantly clear it was time.
Ebenezer was used 3 times in the Bible and it means "stone of help." Once it was mentioned as a place where the Israelites camped near the Philistines who they had been fighting, then as an altar to commemorate how God had helped them up to that point against the Philistines, and lastly as a visible reminder of what God had done for them, giving them victory over the Philistines after two defeats.
The Chris Renzema song brought this idea of an Ebenezer to the forefront of my mind and I haven't been able to shake it. And, around the same time I found that song, I began hearing the song Psalm 42 by Shane & Shane. It was immediately added to my wilderness playlist as well. It incorporates powerful Scripture with hauntingly beautiful melodies and deep lyrics AND parts of the hymn Come Thou Fount. I had never heard the two songs back to back until today and it was a beautiful ending to something that has been rattling around in my brain for a while.
So there you have it. It's not profound, maybe, but it has been a powerful lesson for me to work through over these last couple of months. I have no doubt that all three of these songs will bring me comfort and strength in the weeks and months to come.
I highly recommend you let these two songs sink deep into your souls.
Just As Good - Chris Renzema
https://youtu.be/oudl2LVXDYo?si=4K050hZkFRyfdMi3
Psalm 42 (Loudest Praise) - Shane & Shane
https://youtu.be/Q1Gd-FoNLuI?si=3Vl5H4wPpU6XhcFi
Saturday, January 25, 2025
What Is An Ebenezer?
Labels:
1 Samuel,
altar,
blood cancer,
cancer,
Chris Renzema,
Ebenezer,
God,
Israelites,
Just As Good,
Philistines,
Psalm 42,
Shane & Shane
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