“HITHERTO” !

1 Samuel 7: 12 KJV Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.

“Hitherto”! I love that old fashioned word because it’s powerful!😊 I remember reading this verse years ago and it resonated with me. It’s about Samuel telling the children of Israel to rid themselves of their idol worship, and praying for the Lord to help them fight against the Philistines. The Lord answered his prayer and the Israelites were able to defeat their enemies. 

Samuel then erected a stone to remind them, and called it ‘Ebenezer’ which means ‘hitherto has the Lord helped us.’ In other words, thus far, up till now, has the Lord helped us.😊

Can I encourage us today to know that whatever we are dealing with, whatever the future looks like, we can remember and give thanks to God for the way He has always helped us in the past. He is a faithful God who has promised to help, uphold and strengthen us, and as His children, we know He always will.

We can all have an Ebenezer stone, a ‘Hitherto’ stone in our minds. It’s when we remember to thank God for the countless times He has blessed us in the past. For our homes, for the support of our families and friends, for His provision and loving care. To be grateful for all He has already done, and to keep reminding ourselves that He will not fail us and will always help us in the days to come.

When I feel downhearted it always helps me to say to myself, “Hitherto!”, and remember I have the Greater One living in me and He will provide whatever I need.

So next time you feel overwhelmed in any way, just keep thanking the Lord for His goodness, for His blessings and whisper under your breath, ‘Hitherto!’, and know He has your future all sorted out, and you’re safe in the palm of His loving hand. Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x😊

Photo: Courtesy of Y. Willis

WOUNDED SO WE CAN BE FREE

Isaiah 53:5 NIV But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

We can probably all remember riding a bike as a kid and falling off. It usually meant we ended up with a few extra scars where the grazes healed over!😊

But there are other scars people carry all their lives which are not visible. They are scars where they’ve been deeply hurt, scars of offences which have never been dealt with or forgiven. Maybe words were spoken that undermined and limited them. They may be scars of rejection from family members, or loved ones, or friends who let them down. They are old wounds which can suddenly open up if they’re not healed properly.

God knows all about our wounds, but He wants to remind us today He’s done something about them because Jesus carried the wounds inflicted on Him at the whipping post, He experienced the wounds that nailed Him to the Cross, that pierced His brow, and every drop of His blood, every one of those wounds He bore for our sake so our wounds could be healed. 

Maybe they’re wounds of sickness, wounds of depression, wounds of loneliness or abandonment, scars of betrayal or guilt or shame. Whatever it is, God says Jesus bore it all for us, so we could be free, so we could be whole, so we could know peace in our innermost being. The punishment that brought us peace was on Him.

If you’re carrying some scars, old wounds from decades ago or just yesterday, Jesus asks you to see His wounds today and know He understands every one of yours, and He wants you to exchange them for His healing, His forgiveness, and His peace. He already paid the price by suffering for you.

I don’t know who this is for today but God does. You may have received His forgiveness for your sins, so why not bring all your wounds and scars to Him as well and let Him breathe His healing peace into them all, even the ones that are buried deep. 

It’s time to let them go and give them to Him today, because Jesus heals the broken hearted, He was wounded so you could be made whole, so you could be set free, because of His great love for you. In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo by Alex Noriega on Unsplash