EBENEZER

EBENEZER

I rejoice that I can most heartily greet you entering on another year. The word I give you for it is ‘Ebenezer, hitherto hath the Lord helped us’. In order to know Him in this special grace, there must be — first, separation from all that is false; secondly, dependence on Himself; and thirdly, contending earnestly, practically following up the rout of the enemy.

If you are not in absolute separation your heart is not prepared to serve the Lord only, and if you are not set on serving the Lord only, you will not have confidence in praying to Him. Samuel, in offering the burnt-offering, type of Christ’s acceptance with God, is confirmed in his confidence, and the Lord heard him. He thunders, He routs the enemy, but you must follow it up; you must identify yourself with the Lord’s battle; and thus there will be a notable, a never-to-be-forgotten, sense of His succour, for He will specially and manifestly appear on your behalf. Samson preceded Samuel. Samson had great strength and achieved great works; Samuel appeared to have no strength, prayer was his only resource, and he accomplished far more than Samson did, because he was cast wholly on the Lord.

May you enter on this new year in the most assured confidence in the Lord. You can say, “Thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23: 4), and as this is true, so will there be a “table” — divine recompense for you in the very spot where you had suffered for the Lord; as Paul in the house of the jailor. The Lord bless you much, and make you a blessing. The more you are blessed the more I shall rejoice.