1 Samuel 7:12
Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called it Ebenezer, saying, hitherto hath the Lord helped us.
-The children of Israel were in Mizpah and the Philistines were coming from Shen to wage a war. The children of Israel were afraid for their lives and they asked Samuel to not stop crying out to God for help. God heard Samuel's prayers and the men of Israel went out and pursued and killed the Philistines. The men of Israel returned and Samuel made an example of God's faithfulness and protection. He placed a stone between Mizpah and Shen to say look at how God has protected us, and provided for us, and stayed with us all this time. He never leaves when it gets tough. He will always stick it out like nobody else will. He is always going to be here and He will always help us! From the day on for the rest of Samuels life the Philistines never came across the coast line of Israel.
It's just the same now. Sure we probably don't have actual battles where we are fighting for our lives but we do have many spiritual battles. And we do have hard times. The devil trys to fill our minds with doubt through these hard times. He wants to break us down and keep us from going to God for our strength. That's when we can whip out our own "stone" and show the devil(and ourselves) how great our God is and how many hard and trying times He's has been with us. He has never left us. And He never will. He's as strong today as He was yesterday. Don't forget that.
I encourage you to maybe find something that you can count as your "stone" that will always signify how great God's endurance and loyalty is. It doesn't matter what it is. Just find your "stone" and let God remind you every day of His great mercies.
God Bless!
