My All is on the Altar: ‘Here is Raise My Ebenezer’

 My All is on the Altar: ‘Here is Raise My Ebenezer’

Life often feels like a battlefield. As Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12, “We are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age” (GNT). The struggles we face aren’t merely physical or relational; they’re deeply spiritual. And some days, it feels relentless - that’s my testimony.

In 1 Samuel 7, we read of a moment when Samuel and the Israelites faced their own battle. They were vulnerable and outnumbered, but Samuel knew where his strength lay. He didn’t depend on his own ability or resources—he sought the Lord. As Samuel offered a sacrifice and cried out to God, the enemy approached. Yet God intervened: “That day the Lord thundered loudly against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that the Israelites defeated them completely” (1 Samuel 7:10 GNT).

God held the victory.

After this miraculous deliverance, Samuel did something significant. He took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, calling it Ebenezer, which means “stone of help.” He declared, “The Lord has helped us all the way” (1 Samuel 7:12 GNT). This stone became a tangible reminder of God’s faithfulness—a marker of God’s victory and presence.

Today, I feel the need to raise my own metaphorical Ebenezer, my own “stone of help.” It’s easy to forget in the midst of struggle that God has already won countless battles for me. He has been my strength in weakness, my hope in despair, and my refuge in chaos.

But raising an Ebenezer isn’t just about looking back with gratitude; it’s about surrendering everything to God’s continued care. Alongside my stone of remembrance, I place my all on the altar. This is an act of complete surrender—of offering my past, present, and future into God’s hands. It’s an acknowledgment that victory isn’t mine to grasp; it belongs to the Lord.

It’s only when I surrender all—my fears, my struggles, my victories, my very self—that I experience the fullness of God’s power and peace. Samuel’s act of raising the Ebenezer reminds me that God is faithful and present in every battle. The cross of Christ reminds me that the ultimate battle has already been won.

Perhaps today you need to raise your own Ebenezer. Look back at your life—at the moments when God stepped in, carried you, and made a way where there seemed to be none. Then, look forward, placing all you are and all you have on the altar.

As you reflect, I invite you to listen to the New York Staff Band’s beautiful rendition of My All is on the Altar. Let the music guide you into prayerful surrender, trusting in the God who holds every victory.

https://youtu.be/A_xfHX-2X8A?si=fMSYQQVUooOcHlgk

Today, may you find peace in the truth that God has helped you all the way—and He will not fail you now. ‘Here I raise my Ebenezer.’

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