1 Samuel 7:12

1 Samuel 7:12

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” – 1 Samuel 7:12

This probably seems like an odd verse to focus on, but recently I was remembering how impactful it was during our trial of infertility. I was able to look back on the months and years of waiting for children and say with confidence that so far, the Lord has helped me through this difficult time. And that reassured me that He would continue to do so. I even had a small stone for a while that I would use as a visual to remind me of this truth.

I have been reading through the Old Testament lately and have been struck by the lack of faith from the Israelites again and again. Didn’t God just miraculously rescue them? And now they are questioning His provision once more. Then God shows me how I am exactly like them.

I tend to worry about my kids, for their safety and future. Yes, God stopped my child from swallowing that battery, but will He save him the next time something terrible almost happens? Thinking about Lily, my adopted daughter, made this very real to me. She has gone through some pretty major medical procedures in her little lifetime so far, and for a lot of those, I wasn’t there “protecting her.” So many people showed her special love and care before that precious little girl with the big smile came into my life. And that was completely the Lord’s doing, He had a design on her life. He still does, only now I am the one with the privilege of giving her that love and care.

Does that mean that nothing bad will ever happen to my kids, even tragic? No, God does not promise us a perfect life here. But He does promise that He will always be with me (Heb 13:5), and that He will help me through whatever He does bring into my life (Phil 4:13). He also promises that He has a plan for my kids and He loves them more than I can even imagine loving them (Psalm 139). And I can trust Him and rest in that plan and say, “Till now, the Lord has helped me.”