"Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah.He named it Ebenezer, explaining,
'The Lord helped us to this very point.'”
- 1 Samuel 7:12
Most of you know that God recently offered me a unique opportunity for this blog. Last week, I submitted Truth in Weakness in the Circle of Moms “Top 25 Moms with Inspiring Families” contest. I didn’t find out about the contest ‘til six days before it finished, but I decided {again} to make this blog available to the Lord. And then let Him decide what He wants to do with it.
In those six days, numerous friends and family members captured the vision of extending God’s message of truth and grace to a hurting world by championing along side of me with your support. I am so grateful for that, SO grateful. Whether this blog landed in the Top 25 or not, each of you who advocated reminded me {by your example} that I want to be a friend who never hesitates to cheer another friend on in life.
And I am honored to share that on Wednesday at 7pm, God said yes!
Truth in Weakness came in at #21.
Funny thing is, as it climbed closer to the Top 25, it was harder for me to surrender to the prospect of God saying yes, than it was to the prospect of Him saying no . . . Ever have that??
The following morning, God brought me to a divinely-timed blog post of praise, based on the verse above in 1 Samuel. I had never been to this blog, but clearly, God had led me there. And my soul kept singing the love song of praise below.
Thank you, my friends and fellow sojourners.
I am celebrating Him with my Ebenezer soul!
- Tanya
In those six days, numerous friends and family members captured the vision of extending God’s message of truth and grace to a hurting world by championing along side of me with your support. I am so grateful for that, SO grateful. Whether this blog landed in the Top 25 or not, each of you who advocated reminded me {by your example} that I want to be a friend who never hesitates to cheer another friend on in life.
And I am honored to share that on Wednesday at 7pm, God said yes!
Truth in Weakness came in at #21.
Funny thing is, as it climbed closer to the Top 25, it was harder for me to surrender to the prospect of God saying yes, than it was to the prospect of Him saying no . . . Ever have that??
The following morning, God brought me to a divinely-timed blog post of praise, based on the verse above in 1 Samuel. I had never been to this blog, but clearly, God had led me there. And my soul kept singing the love song of praise below.
Thank you, my friends and fellow sojourners.
I am celebrating Him with my Ebenezer soul!
- Tanya
Come thou fount of every blessing
(by Robert Robinson)
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.
Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,
Till released from flesh and sin,
Yet from what I do inherit,
Here Thy praises I'll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I've come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood;
How His kindness yet pursues me
Mortal tongue can never tell,
Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me
I cannot proclaim it well.
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
What a wonderful song! Thanks for sharing! And thank you for linking up! It is indeed a blessing to be unknowingly part of what God is doing. Congratulations again, Tanya! Abundant Ebenezer blessings to you and yours!
ReplyDeletea true honor to have you visit my blog home, mari-anna. thanks for your encouragement, & for continuing in worship with me. to God be all glory!
DeleteOh, Tanya, God has heaped another layer of his abundant blessings upon this whole endeavor in my reading of "Soul Love Song"! You see, The Lord has put Abraham's test of faith on my heart, my mind and my soul. He has asked me how my feet feel in those shoes...now I have my answer...I will worship him with these raw blisters of complacency.
ReplyDeleteSisters in Christ, Amy
my dearest amy,
Deletei don't think anybody's feet are comfortable in those shoes -- including abraham's. i heard a mssg last year that reminded me that faith isn't a virtue. it's a gift. it's not something that can be conjured, but only bestowed by the Giver, Himself.
and so as you draw near to Him, trusting Him in ways that defy all logic and common sense, may you see His power made perfect as you worship Him with your weary hands & feet.
"And how blessed all those in whom you live,
whose lives become roads You travel;
They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks,
discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain!
God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and at the last turn — Zion! God in full view!"
- ps. 84:5-7 (the mssg)
Isn't it amazing how we can so easily fluctuate between "it's all in God's hands" and "what else do I need to do to make this happen?" !!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI know your blog will be such a blessing to SO many all over the world! To God be the glory!
well you know me well enough that it won't surprise you when i say that i don't usually fluctuate in a given area. the dif. pieces of my life usually fall into one of those two camps, & for the most part, they stay there. so that's great for the areas where i pretty freely trust Him. but not so great for the areas where i struggle to let go of the reigns. perpetually . . . so it was a bit hysterial to see myself fluctuating back & forth in a single area. ;)
Deletethx for being one of my pioneer encouragers on this journey, sandy. to God be the glory INDEED!
That is wonderful! How exciting for you to be able to reach more people with your words of encouragement from the Lord. I love that song you posted and it had never occurred to me, either, about the verse and song. Thank you for that little bit of blessing today. :)
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing in the celebration, kellie!
Deletei had never captured that part of the song, either. i remember one other time wondering what the ebenezer reference meant, finding out, & then it quickly escaping my feeble memory. but this time i read it with a whole new context: after having lived a very ebenezer season in life. so i'm pretty sure it's gonna stick this time.
hope you had a blessed weekend, friend!