Ebenezer means “stone of help.” In 1 Samuel 7:12, after God rescued Israel, Samuel set up a stone and said, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” It was a memorial to remember God’s faithfulness. You can do the same at year’s end: write down the moments you were helped, thank God for each, and carry that gratitude into what comes next.
“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up… He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.””
— 1 Samuel 7:12
At the end of a year, most of us feel one of two things: relief that it is over, or regret at what we did not finish. There is a third option in Scripture: a pause to look back and say, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
The Story Behind the Stone
Israel had drifted from God and was under pressure from the Philistines. At Mizpah the people repented, Samuel prayed, and God answered; the Philistines were driven back. Then Samuel did something simple: he took a stone, set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Ebenezer, which means “stone of help” (1 Samuel 7:12). It was a signpost that told future generations: God helped us here.
Why God Tells Us to Remember
Forgetting is one of our oldest habits. Moses warned Israel: “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way” (Deuteronomy 8:2). The psalmist told his own soul, “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2). Gratitude is not a mood; it is a discipline of memory. Our own Woman’s Guild took 1 Samuel 7:12 as its motto: “That far the Lord has helped us.” Read their story in A Story of Service Across Our Parishes.
Notice the Words “Thus Far”
Samuel did not say, “The Lord has solved everything.” He said “thus far.” It is honest. The battle was not over, and Israel’s troubles continued. The stone looks back with thanks and forward with trust: the God who helped us this far will not abandon us now. See New Year, New Mercies for that second half.
How to Set Up Your Own Ebenezer
- Take 20 quiet minutes with a notebook or phone, and a cup of tea.
- Scan your year month by month. Check your calendar, photos and messages.
- Write down at least ten moments of help: a job, a healing, a reconciliation, a bill that was paid, a hard day you survived.
- Include the answers you did not expect. Sometimes God’s help looked like a closed door.
- Say thank you aloud to God, line by line. Then, if you can, to the people he used.
- Keep the list somewhere you will see it next year.
When the Year Was Hard
What if the list is short, or the year was full of grief? Gratitude does not deny pain. The writer of Lamentations, in the middle of ruin, wrote, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23). You may be able to write only small things: I woke up. Someone prayed for me. I did not walk alone. That is an Ebenezer too. If the grief is heavy, please also read Faith, Mental Health and the Church and Giving Thanks in Hard Times.
A Short Prayer for Year’s End
Lord, thank you that you have helped me thus far. Forgive what I did wrong and what I left undone. Thank you for the people you placed in my life. I do not know what next year will bring, but I know who holds it. Amen.
A Familiar Hymn Line
The old hymn Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing has the line, “Here I raise my Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come.” Singing it is a way of saying the same thing Samuel said, in a melody. Watchnight services, which many congregations hold on 31 December, are a natural place for it (Watchnight Service).
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Ebenezer mean?
Ebenezer is Hebrew for “stone of help.”
What does ‘thus far the Lord has helped us’ mean?
It is Samuel’s declaration that God had been faithful up to that point. It points both to gratitude for the past and trust for the future.
Is Ebenezer a name for God?
No. In 1 Samuel 7:12 it is the name of a memorial stone.
How can I reflect on my year as a Christian?
Review the year, list the ways God helped you, give thanks and ask him for guidance for the year ahead.
Final Thoughts
You do not need a stone. A page in a notebook will do. Look back, say thank you and step into the new year knowing that the God who helped you thus far is not finished.
Share Your Ebenezer
Tell us how God helped you this year and we may share it, with your permission.
General devotional content (1 Samuel 7; Deuteronomy 8; Psalm 103; Lamentations 3). The Woman’s Guild motto is from our published article. No other organization-specific claims. Compiled by the Editorial Desk.