Ok, I have to confess something. When I sang this as a kid, I always pictured the grumpy old man Scrooge who hated Christmas. Why would I want to life him up?

Now, I understand that an ebenezer is a kind of memorial stone. It’s a visible reminder of a time when God interceded on behalf of His people and brought deliverance.

I think it’s good to have an ebenezer handy for when times get tough and God seems so very far away. Maybe it’s a journal. Maybe it’s a family heirloom. Maybe it’s an actual stone from a place where you witnessed God’s care and provision firsthand.

We need these reminders because we are so forgetful, especially in the trials. It’s easy to look around and see only struggles and issues and problems and how everything seems to be going wrong. It’s hard to remember past the pain or to conjure up memories of good days.

The ebenezer is a kind of reminder that yes, God delivered you before and is certainly capable of doing it again. It’s a tangible witness to the mercy of God that met you when you needed it most.

I think even old Mr. Scrooge might have found his own ebenezer. Here’s hoping and praying you and I find ours.