From Riches to Rags, and the Glory I Found There

  The Israelites lost a brutal battle at Ebenezer... They had forsaken the God of their people and were embroiled in idol worship. False gods prevailed in their lives and they seemed to forget that God cannot dwell where an idol dwells. They lost a great battle and the Ark of the Covenant was ripped away from them. The very presence of God...lost. It took Israel 20 years to return to the God of her youth. This revival led them into a victorious battle and returned the Ark of the Covenant to them. A glorious reunion, a reawakening. In order to remember the victory at the hands of their great God, the prophet Samuel placed a stone at the very place of their victory and he called the stone Ebenezer (Stone of Help), saying "Thus far God has helped us." Though this story is not my own, I will say that I find myself so often identifying with the struggles and triumphs of the Israelites.  Come, walk with me through my Ebenezer battlefield... I would like to show you what I see of my...