“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, 'Thus far the Lord has helped us.”- 1 Samuel 7:12 NKJV In 1 Samuel 7:12, Samuel raised a stone and called it Ebenezer, a memorial declaring God’s faithfulness. But throughout Scripture, memorials were often marked by …
“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
– 1 Samuel 7:12 NKJV
In 1 Samuel 7:12, Samuel raised a stone and called it Ebenezer, a memorial declaring God’s faithfulness. But throughout Scripture, memorials were often marked by sacrifice, not just words.
When Noah came out of the ark after surviving the flood, the first thing he did was not build a house, but an altar (Genesis 8:20). He offered a sacrifice to God. The Bible says the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and made a covenant never again to destroy the earth by flood. Then God placed a rainbow in the sky as a sign, a visible reminder of a covenant triggered by a sacrifice.
Notice the order: altar, sacrifice, remembrance, covenant.
Noah’s memorial not only affected his generation; it secured mercy for every generation after him. Every time rain falls and a rainbow appears, it testifies that a man once raised an altar of gratitude.
In Mark 14:3–9 (NKJV), we see another powerful memorial. A woman broke an alabaster box of very costly oil, worth a year’s wages, and poured it on Jesus. Some criticized her. They called it waste. They argued the money could have been used differently. But Jesus defended her and declared, “Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
What created that memorial? Sacrifice poured on the body of Christ.
Memorials are rarely understood by critics. When you give your best to God, your worship, your substance, your time, your obedience, some will say it is too much. But heaven never calls wholehearted devotion waste. Heaven calls it remembrance.
Heaven never calls wholehearted devotion waste. Heaven calls it remembrance.
An Ebenezer requires something that costs you.
Noah sacrificed.
The woman broke her alabaster box.
Samuel offered a lamb before declaring Ebenezer.
If we want heaven to remember our gratitude, our Ebenezer must move beyond words into offering. Worship is beautiful, but worship that costs something leaves a mark in eternity.
This does not mean we earn God’s love, but sacrifice demonstrates value. It declares, “Lord, You are worth more than my comfort, more than my resources, more than my reputation.”
As we reflect on God’s faithfulness, “Thus far the Lord has helped us”—the question becomes personal: What represents my Ebenezer? What sacrifice am I laying before Him? What memorial am I raising that heaven will remember?
Today, pause and consider how far the Lord has brought you. The battles He fought. The doors He opened. The dangers He blocked. The mercy He extended.
Then raise your Ebenezer, not just with words, but with worship that costs, obedience that honours, and a sacrifice that speaks.
And may it be said of you: Heaven remembers.
Song
Alabaster Box
By CeCe Winans
Prayer – Father, as we reflect on how far You have brought us, we renew our commitment to trust You for the journey ahead. The God who has helped us thus far will help us still. The God who sustained yesterday will sustain tomorrow. We raise our Ebenezer today, not just in speech, but in surrender. In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.
Bible in 1 year: Psalms 13-15; Acts 19
Sign up for free class
It’s easy and free!
