Jentezen Franklin Daily Devotional (October 7, 2025) From Defeat to Victory.
"Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’" 1 Samuel 7:12 (NKJV)
Think about it. In the very same place where Israel suffered one of their darkest days, God wrote a story of redemption. At Ebenezer, thirty-four thousand soldiers were slaughtered. On that same day, the high priest Eli fell and died. His sons were killed in battle. His daughter-in-law gave birth in sorrow, named her son Ichabod, and breathed her last breath. It seemed as though hope was gone. The ark of the covenant, the very symbol of God’s presence, was carried into the temple of a false god. It looked like Israel had been abandoned.
But God does not need anyone to defend Him. He is more than capable of showing His power. When the Philistines placed the ark in the temple of Dagon, their idol fell face down before the God of Israel. Broken and humiliated, it was a silent sign that idols cannot stand before the living God. Plagues followed, and the enemies of Israel quickly realized they could not contain the Lord Almighty. They loaded the ark on a cart and sent it back, guided supernaturally by God Himself, straight across the border of Israel.
At that very moment, Samuel called the people to prayer and repentance. The Philistines thought they had their chance. Israel was bowed low in worship. It seemed like the perfect time to strike. But the Bible says God thundered from Heaven. One sound from God, one display of His power, threw the enemy into confusion and brought deliverance to His people.
That day, Samuel set up a large stone and named it Ebenezer, which means, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” The very place where defeat had once defined them became the place where victory was declared. The same ground that witnessed sorrow and loss became a memorial of God’s faithfulness.
Your life may feel like Ebenezer right now. You may have tasted defeat, heartbreak, or loss that seemed final. But God is not finished with your story.
Do not put a period where He has placed a comma.
He is still writing. What was meant for your harm can become the very place of your testimony. God has a way of turning graves into gardens, despair into hope, and defeat into victory.
Prayer: Lord, thank You that my story is not over. What the enemy meant for evil, You can use for good. Help me to see my “Ebenezer moments” not as endings, but as reminders that You have carried me this far and You will not stop now. Amen.
