Thus Far

The children of Israel were continually under the thumb of the Philistines, lamenting and mourning over their condition. So through Samuel the Lord gave them a promise.

“If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” (1 Samuel 7:3)

At Samuel’s command the Jews then gathered at Mizpah for prayer, and when the Philistines heard of it they came to fight, and it says that the Lord thundered from heaven and the Philistines were routed.

Samuel said, “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up…and called it Ebenezer, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’” (1 Samuel 7:12)

Samuel’s message wasn’t a guarantee God would always intercede and fight their battles, but rather if they wanted God to continue interceding on their behalf they needed to continued preparing their hearts to serve Him.

While God intercedes for us, what Samuel makes clear is that we need to continue doing out part.

While Jesus died upon the cross for our sins, setting us free from the curse of sin and death, we still must repent, that is, walk by faith and in a way that is pleasing to God. We have to continue living for God and fulfill His will.

Thus far God has helped and it is His desire to continue to do so. But at the same time we have to continue to serve Him. We have to continue to read His word, pray, worship, along with confessing our sinfulness and repenting, that is, turn from our sinful ways and turn towards the Lord God and follow His ways. Then He will hear our cries, forgive our sins, and heal our land, 2 Chronicles 7:14.

Thus far the Lord has helped, but it is still our responsibility to continue in the ways of the Lord for our lives.