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

Every year, the Netherlands exports billions of tulips worldwide. Every spring, many of the fields around Harlem turn multi-coloured with rows of tulips of every hue and description. As new life appears each spring, we are reminded once again of God’s faithfulness. And as spring returns to Beacon, we are also reminded of God’s faithfulness. In fact, this year 2023 Beacon will celebrate 60 Years of experiencing God’s Faithfulness! It is His camp and He has provided and will continue to do so. Three thousand years ago, after a revival in which Israel returned to the Lord with all their heart, God gave them a great victory over their enemies, and the prophet Samuel set up a stone monument to remind them throughout the years to come that God was their helper. Just as God helped Israel, so we too can say: “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” As He has been with us in the past, so we can trust Him for the future. Not because we are faithful, but because He is.

So let us thank the Lord that we can trust Him as we face the uncertain future, knowing that the One who has helped us thus far will continue to be with us until the end of our lives. He will never fail! He never has and He never will. As we pass milestones in our lives: birthdays and anniversaries, may we always remember that it is by God’s grace that we have come thus far, and it will be by God’s grace that we will continue onwards!

With our best wishes for a spring lived close to our Faithful God,

Andrew “Monk” & Marianne “Tia” Nunn