Thus Far, the Lord Has Helped Us

Devotional

Day 1: Raising Ebenezer Stones in Life’s Busy Current

The rush of tasks often sweeps us past sacred moments. Samuel’s stone stood defiant against forgetfulness, shouting “look what God did” amid life’s chaos. Like thunder breaking through battle noise, Ebenezer markers disrupt our hurry to say “thus far the Lord helped us.” These stones aren’t trophies of human effort but altars of divine faithfulness. They anchor wandering hearts to concrete proof of provision. Today’s monuments might be journal entries, photos, or quiet pauses that shout God’s goodness. [24:37]

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
(1 Samuel 7:12, ESV)

Reflection: What “Ebenezer moment” from your past year makes you whisper “God did this”? How could you physically or verbally mark it to remember His help?

Day 2: Bread and Milk at the Knocking Door

Empty kitchens test faith’s resolve. George Mueller’s orphans sat at tables with nothing but prayer and expectancy. The miracle didn’t come through stockpiles but through a baker’s midnight obedience and a broken wagon’s timing. God’s provision often arrives disguised as inconvenience reshaped – a knock interrupting doubt, a “coincidence” bearing holy fingerprints. Celebration begins when we see daily bread as divine gift rather than human achievement. [25:23]

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: Where are you sitting at an empty table today? How might thankfulness shift your posture while waiting for God’s “knock”?

Day 3: Two Million Meals and New Windows: Marking God’s Steadfastness

Tinted windows and meal counts matter. Hosanna’s restriped parking lots and revised constitutions become modern Ebenezers when seen through worshipful eyes. Each practical improvement – livestream tech, preschool chapels, VBS missions – whispers “God sustained us.” Celebrating two million packed meals isn’t about numbers but about thousands of hands becoming Christ’s. Faithfulness flourishes when we notice God in spreadsheets and paint cans. [28:51]

This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
(Psalm 118:23-24, ESV)

Reflection: Which “ordinary achievement” in your community most clearly reflects God’s enduring help? How does it shift your perspective to call it “the Lord’s doing”?

Day 4: Negotiating Towers and Welcoming Custodians: God in Transition

Cell tower negotiations and retirement parties test faith’s flexibility. Transitions – new staff, constitutional updates, parking lot repairs – become Ebenezers when we see God threading purpose through delays. Like Samuel’s stone between Mizpah and Shen, Hosanna’s three-year AT&T talks mark “God was here” in bureaucratic trenches. Every farewell and hiring committee becomes a altar when we trace the Lord’s help through uncertainty. [30:53]

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.
(Ecclesiastes 3:1, ESV)

Reflection: What unresolved situation in your life needs an “Ebenezer perspective”? How might God be working in the waiting that you’re tempted to dismiss as mundane?

Day 5: Rejoicing in Today’s Rain and Mundane Moments

Celebration thrives in soggy parking lots and committee meetings. Psalm 118’s “this day” includes spreadsheet Mondays and rainy worship Sundays. God’s steadfast love shines through preschool chapel giggles and livestream glitches fixed. True rejoicing isn’t waiting for mountaintop moments but spotting grace in Tuesday’s email grind and Thursday’s grocery run. Today’s Ebenezer might be a repaired HVAC unit or a hand-painted altar cloth. [36:28]

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
(Psalm 118:24, ESV)

Reflection: What ordinary part of your routine today could become an Ebenezer if viewed as God’s gift? How does rejoicing in “this day” change your approach to its challenges?

Sermon Summary

Psalm 118 opens with a simple call that the whole people of God can say together: “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His steadfast love endures forever.” The psalm does not point God’s people toward their own strength, strategy, or hard work. It points them toward the Lord whose faithfulness holds steady through every season.

The rhythm and busyness of everyday life can make it easy to check off one task and rush into the next thing. This day calls Hosanna to hit the pause button, look back, and see how far God has brought the church. God has been steadfastly faithful and incredibly generous, and the congregation’s gifts, prayers, service, and dedication have become real signs of that faithfulness.

Samuel’s Ebenezer stone gives this kind of remembrance a name. The stone of help stood as a physical marker that said, “Thus far, the Lord has helped us.” Israel did not win by its own strength, and Hosanna has not arrived at this moment by talent, power, or planning alone. Ebenezer stones make God’s people stop in their tracks and say, “Look at what God did.”

George Mueller’s orphanage gives a picture of that living faith. God provided bread and milk for 300 children when there was no food in the kitchen and no money in the bank. Mueller did not quietly move on to the next problem. He wrote down God’s provision, praised him, and made that moment a spiritual monument for the rest of his life.

Hosanna’s Ebenezer stones include growing children’s ministry, confirmation, Vacation Bible School, youth mission work, Bible studies, renewed Lenten services, hospitality, and two million meals packed for Feed My Starving Children. God has also provided through facility improvements, livestream upgrades, new windows, parking-lot work, faithful staff, generous donations, and preparations for the future. Children, youth, and adults have learned about Jesus. Hungry people have been fed, families have been supported, lonely hearts have found fellowship, and practical love has changed lives.

The Holy Spirit remains actively at work, even when the path does not move as quickly or exactly as expected. Psalm 118 brings the church back to today, with all its rain, messiness, and ordinary moments: “This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” God’s faithfulness in the past gives Hosanna reason to celebrate today and trust him with whatever lies ahead.

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Key Takeaways

1. Remember God’s help with gratitude Ebenezer stones do more than mark accomplishments. They guard the heart from pretending that ministry, provision, or endurance came from human effort alone. Gratitude becomes deeper when God’s people name the specific places where his help carried them. [24:37]
2. God meets people in real need George Mueller’s empty kitchen was not a theoretical problem, and God’s provision was not merely symbolic. Bread and milk arrived for hungry children at exactly the needed moment. God’s care often meets people through ordinary hands, unexpected timing, and faithful prayer. [25:23]
3. Faithfulness becomes practical love God’s work at Hosanna appears in meals packed, children taught, worship offered, facilities cared for, and hurting people supported. Service is not separate from spiritual life when it carries Christ’s love into actual needs. Every volunteered hour can become an Ebenezer stone when it is offered to God. [33:25]
4. Today belongs to the Lord Psalm 118 does not wait for perfect circumstances before calling God’s people to rejoice. This day includes rain, unfinished work, transitions, and messy mundane moments, yet it remains the day the Lord has made. Trust grows when gratitude is practiced in the present rather than postponed for an easier season.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[22:35] - Psalm 118 and God’s Steadfast Love
[23:31] - Pausing to Celebrate God’s Faithfulness
[24:37] - Samuel’s Ebenezer Stone of Help
[25:23] - George Mueller and God’s Provision
[27:23] - Ministry Milestones at Hosanna
[28:51] - Two Million Meals and Facility Improvements
[30:23] - Planning for Hosanna’s Future
[32:24] - Transitions, Staff, and Generosity
[33:25] - Everyday Ministry and Practical Love
[35:10] - Thanks for Faithful Partnership
[36:09] - Rejoicing in This Day
[36:50] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Psalm 118:1-4, 23-24
“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! Let Israel say, "His steadfast love endures forever." Let the house of Aaron say, "His steadfast love endures forever." Let those who fear the LORD say, "His steadfast love endures forever." This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” [22:19]

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.” [24:41]

James 1:17
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

Observation questions

In Psalm 118, which groups are called to join in declaring the Lord’s steadfast love, and what repeated response unites them? [22:48]
What two reasons does Psalm 118 give for rejoicing in the present day?
In 1 Samuel 7:12, what did Samuel set up, what did he name it, and what did that name remembered? [24:41]
What details made George Mueller’s orphanage situation an urgent need, and how was provision made for the children? [25:26]

Interpretation questions

Why is it important that an Ebenezer stone points to God’s help rather than simply celebrating what people accomplished? How can remembering God’s help protect a church or a person from pride? [26:46]
Psalm 118 calls God’s people to rejoice in “this day.” What does that suggest about gratitude when the day includes unfinished work, disappointment, rain, or ordinary responsibilities? [36:28]
James 1:17 describes every good gift as coming from God. How does that shape the way believers view both obvious answers to prayer and everyday provision through people’s work, generosity, and service?
George Mueller recorded God’s provision instead of moving immediately to the next problem. Why might deliberately remembering God’s faithfulness strengthen a person for future needs? [26:22]

Application questions

What is one personal “Ebenezer stone”—a specific moment when God helped, provided, protected, or carried you—that you do not want to forget? How could you mark or record it this week? [24:51]
Where are you most tempted to credit your own effort, planning, talent, or hard work rather than recognizing God’s help? What would gratitude sound like in that area? [25:04]
Think about a current need in your family, work, health, or relationships. What would it look like to bring that need honestly to God while also watching for his care through ordinary people and practical opportunities? [26:25]
What is one act of practical love you have seen make a difference—such as feeding people, welcoming someone, supporting a family, teaching children, or serving quietly? How might God be inviting you to take part in something similar? [34:46]
When life feels busy, what helps you pause long enough to notice how far God has brought you? Could your group try a simple practice of sharing one specific gratitude each week? [23:31]
What part of “this day” is difficult for you to receive with joy right now? How might trusting God’s steadfast love change the way you face that part of today? [36:22]

Sermon Clips

46s

“As soon as he said amen, a knock came at the door. It was a local baker. He told Mueller that the Holy Spirit had woken him up in the middle of the night and telling him that he needed to bake three large batches of fresh bread for the orphanage that day. Moments later, a second knot came. It was the milkman. His wagon wheel had broken right in front of the orphanage, and the milk was going to spoil before he would have time to fix it. He asked if he asked Mueller if the children could use the fresh milk. That morning, they didn't just eat. They celebrated a living god who meets us right where we are.”

39s

“We've collected food and school supplies for the children of the Forest Lake School District, And we've done so many other things that happen quietly outside of these walls simply because you go out and live your faith every single day. Every life touched by these ministries, every challenge we have met, every dollar that's been given, and every single hour volunteered is one of our Ebenezer stones of remembrance. They prove that God is alive and moving within Hosanna.”

32s

“My hope is that as you look back on everything that happened this past year, it stirs a profound sense of gratitude within your souls too. The holy spirit is actively at work here. It may not always move exactly as we envisioned or as quickly as we would like, but we are never left to our own devices. God is always with us and will continue to be with us as we take our next steps.”

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