“I think our greatest shortcoming is not feeling good enough about what God has done right. When we undercelebrate, we fall short of the glory of God.”- Mark Batterson
As Mark Batterson concludes Chapter 7 of Chase the Lion, he notes that after an upset Israelite victory over the Philistines, Samuel built an altar. Next, Samuel named that altar ‘Ebenezer.’ Ebenezer means “hitherto hath the Lord helped us.” Similarly, Ebenezer moments occur in every dream journey. Hence, we celebrate those milestones by building altars.
In the process, we surround ourselves with life symbols. That’s so we don’t forget what God wants us to remember. In addition, Pastor Batterson explains the significance of altar-building:
“An altar reminds us that the God who did it before can do it again. It’s not just a token of God’s faithfulness. It’s a statement of faith: the God who got us here will get us there, and the God who did this will do that.”
Therefore, Mark encourages, we not only need to celebrate more; we need to celebrate better. For example, the initials SFSG appear on the coffee sleeves at Ebenezers Coffeehouse- a ministry of National Community Church. Those initials stand for “So Far So God.” As Pastor Batterson quips, NCC “took good out of the equation and added God.”
In conclusion, Mark subscribes to a two-fold litmus test in discerning the will of God: “You have to be released from and called to.” As a result, if God has released you, you need to let it go- and not look back.
Rather, focus on how God’s calling you to resurrect your dream.
Today’s question: How would you describe your greatest shortcoming during your desert, transition time? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: the new Short Meditation, “God is in control”
