Personal note: Today I feel I am strong enough to resume posting our Daily Encouragement messages after my surgery last week. I was discharged from the hospital last Saturday afternoon. The surgeon informed us the surgery went well so now I am slowly recovering. Initially it was pain and fatigue but now it's more itching than pain although I am quite weak and weary as well.

Message summary: My goal in serving Christ is further realized since I have now walked with Him for 53 years. But the completion of my goal, to follow Him all the days of my life, will be fully realized only when my time of transition comes, "safely to arrive at home."

Note: Podcast not prepared with this message.

Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us” (1 Samuel 7:12).

Many of you have sung the lyrics posted above but may not immediately recall the name of the song. Others have never considered the meaning of the words, "Here I raise my Ebenezer" sung in the second verse to the hymn, "Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing", penned in 1757 by Robert Robinson who was just 22 years old at the time.

Ebenezer in Hebrew means "stone of the help" (derived from the phrase Eben ha-Ezer). The Amplified Version translates our daily text as "Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and he named it Ebenezer (stone of help), saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

Today is my spiritual birthday (I was "born again" on August 22, 1971). Each year on this day I like to share my story and give testimony to God's continuous redeeming work in my life. Fifty-three years ago I placed my faith in Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior.

I was raised in a home where we attended church weekly (like a majority of Americans did in the sixties). In fact I remember my long string of "Sunday School perfect attendance" pins (even when traveling Mom would see that we were in Sunday School).

But it wasn't until I was in High School that I clearly recall being specifically challenged by Christ's claims upon my life and the need to personally repent of my sin, accept and seriously follow Christ. Like many, I assumed I was a Christian based upon my church background or being "good" in comparison to those I perceived as "bad."

But after a clear presentation of the Gospel in the spring of 1971 I knew better. After hearing the salvation message, I didn't accept Christ initially but continued to live in a spirit of rejection for a while. During this period of time I was very aware that I had not submitted my heart to Christ.

As I was wrestling with spiritual matters God used a song, popular at the time, titled "I Wish We'd All Been Ready". Each time I heard the words it brought conviction to my heart. I knew I wasn't ready. Many of you "old-timers" have probably heard the song and I place a link to the song below as a refresher for those who knew it well.

On August 22, 1971 I was persuaded to attend a large convention in downtown Kansas City, Missouri where an evangelist by the name of Lowell Lundstrom preached. In the evening service, being convicted of my sin and convinced of my need for Christ, I walked forward and placed my faith in Christ Jesus Whom I asked to be my Lord and Savior.

My testimony, in one sense, can be summed up by the simple phrase in the daily text, "Thus far has the LORD helped me" (changed to first person).

Samuel served God some 3,100 years ago as the last leader during the period of the Judges. In fact he anointed both Saul and David as kings. Samuel served his generation faithfully, overcoming dangers from without and apostasy from within (falling away from the faith).

In today's text he made a tangible memorial of God's faithfulness to himself and His people.  He set up a stone and named it Ebenezer (which means "stone of help"), and applied it to the Israelites stating, "Thus far has the Lord helped us".

That must have been a wonderful event as Samuel looked back at how God had led them through many dangers, toils and snares and then ceremonially declared, "Thus far has the Lord helped us" as He raised his Ebenezer (stone of help).

Today I symbolically raise my Ebenezer and personally proclaim "Thus far has the Lord helped me" over these past 53 years.  I join with John Newton in declaring, "How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed."

When Robert Robinson wrote the line "Here I raise my Ebenezer; here by Thy great help I’ve come" he was surely referring to this Scripture text while declaring his faith and resolve in serving the Lord.

Whether you know the date of your spiritual birthday or not (and I realize many do not), the main question is have you placed your faith in Christ? Are you faithfully serving Him today? We sure hope so! We encourage you to raise your Ebenezer and join Samuel and me and scores of believers all over the world in proclaiming, "Thus far has the Lord helped us!"

My goal in serving Christ is further realized since I have now walked with Him for 53 years. But the completion of my goal, to follow Him all the days of my life, will be fully realized only when my time of transition comes, "safely to arrive at home."

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13