"Up Until Now" - Words Of Gratitude and Hope

 Up Until Now

I had planned something else for today but decided to make this switch.

Have you ever had the experience where you read something that speaks to you and then have that same thought mentioned in another place or even several places.  It’s like God is saying, “Pay attention.  I’m trying to give you something important and helpful here.”

Well, during the days running up to the end of the New Year that was my experience.  I read something in a meditation and even texted a friend because I found it so encouraging.  Then the same story showed up another day in something else I was reading.  On New Year’s Eve I watched an online late night service and guess what the pastor of that church was speaking about?  The very same words. 

They come in the context of a story of God leading His people out of slavery to freedom.  They sinned and got into trouble.  They cried out to God, stopped sinning and began to worship God again.  And what happened?

Immediately enemies were chasing them and they were afraid of being overwhelmed.  They called out to God and God, of course, won a great battle for them.

Their leader at the time, the prophet Samuel took a big rock and set it up as a memorial to God’s kindness and saving help of His people.  He named the rock “Ebenezeer” which sounded very much like the word for help in that language.  And then Samuel said this:

“Up to this point the Lord has helped us!”

1 Samuel 7:12

A wonderful word of encouragement for us as we look back and see the many ways God has helped us, this week, last year, through decades of our life.  It’s also a great motivator for hope because if God’s been faithful to do that “up to this point” why couldn’t we expect His presence and His help going forward in the New Year.

Loving God, You truly are the faithful God who has been there every step of the way.  Sometimes we’ve done an okay job of walking in step with You and other times we’ve wandered away into our own self-will. 

Just like people of old we wind up in troubles, in our circumstances or in our minds and hearts, or both, and then we’ve needed to call out to You.  How kind and available Your forgiveness and saving help have always been.

With Samuel, and with grateful hearts, we can say today, “Up to this point, the Lord has helped us.”  And it really does encourage us and give us hope as we look towards our unknown future. 

You know past, present, and future, so You know what’s ahead even though we don’t.  And so with real confidence we put our will and our lives into Your care once again today.  Amen

Well, I wonder what we’ll be able to report in the “Up to this point the Lord has helped us” list this time next year?

Further Encouraging Thoughts For Today

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