Stuck?

As humans, we spend most of our lives “stuck in the middle,” in the middle of a problem, between a rock and a hard place, in the middle of a mess, or stuck between here or there.  

Most often, we are not at the beginning of something or at the end of something, but we are in the middle of something! God is the God of new beginnings and great endings, but, lucky for us, he is also God in the middle. 

When Samuel found himself in the middle, between Mizpah and Shen, he took a stone and built an altar. 

“The men of Israel went out of Mizpah, and pursued the Philistines… Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between (in the middle of) Mizpah and Shen, and called the name of it Eben–ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us. So, the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel…”

(1 Samuel 7:11-13)

Mizpah and Shen were cities in Canaan.  The name “Mizpah” means “lookout point.” The name “Shen” means “peak point.” I can picture myself standing on one point looking across the valley to the other. The context for the Israelites was that they were between the lookout point and the peak point.  More specifically, they were between where the battle began and where the battle was won. In other words, the outcome had not yet been determined. Most likely, this is the place where we all find ourselves, between where we started out and where we want to be.  

In this critical point, Samuel, the leader of the people, built an altar to acknowledge God’s help up until that time and to ask for God’s continued help to take them the rest of the way.  Samuel called the name of the stone or altar he built between Mizpah and Shen “Ebenezer,” which means stone of help.  Have you ever heard the phrase “Ebenezer stone” and wondered what it meant?  Samuel explained what he meant, saying “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.”  In other words, “up to this point (looking back) the Lord has helped us.”  But that is not all, “from this point (looking forward) the Lord will help us!”

If we build an altar and ask, the Lord will help us to get where we want to be.  However, in order to receive what we ask, there are two important steps that we learn about from this Ebenezer stone.

First, the stone of help is an altar of thanks. Between Mizpah and Shen, Samuel was grateful that the Lord had helped the people this far despite the fierce battle. The first thing when it comes to building an altar is thanksgiving. The altar represents true worship that connects us to God and gets us from where we are to where we want to be. To build this altar, we have to start with thanksgiving. 

“Enter (first thing) his gates with thanksgiving, come into his courts with praise; be thankful and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures to all generations.”

(Psalm 100:4)

It is God’s will for us to give thanks. As every parent knows, one of the things most desired from our children is appreciation.  When they are thankful, it only makes us want to do more for them. I think this is how God feels when we are thankful. So, when you find yourself in the middle…build an altar and say, “Lord, I thank you that you have helped me up until this point.”

Second, the stone of help is an altar of trust. In the middle, Samuel was hopeful that the Lord would continue to help the people all the way to victory! The greatest thing when it comes to building an altar is trust. If we are to experience true worship that connects us to God and gets us from where we are to where we want to be, trust is the key. 

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy path.”

(Proverbs 3:5-6)

This is the relationship that God wants with us: one of trust. He desires that we trust in his greatness. The importance of trust is illustrated to us in the marriage relationship.  There is nothing more foundational to a sound marriage than trust. 

When you find yourself In the middle…build an altar. Start by giving thanks; then, pray “Lord I trust you that you will continue to help me in the future.”  Here is a way to remember.  We are lucky God gave us two hands: left and right.  Start by raising the left hand and say, “Up to this point, Lord, we thank you that you have helped us.”  Next, raise the right hand and say, “From this point, Lord, we trust that you will continue to help us.”

When you find yourself stuck in the middle, create a memorial to the greatness of God! Do it as a reminder that God has answered and brought you through so much already. Do it as an acknowledgement of future victories, as you look forward to all the times you will be able to sing God’s praises because of his great love and faithfulness.

See sermon by William Farina, In the Middle… Build an Altar. Also, see Victorious Living.