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March 23
Monday


CRAZY HORSE

READ:
1 Samuel 7:3-12
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Samuel took a stone
... and called its name
Ebenezer, saying, "Thus
far the LORD has helped
us." __ 1 Samuel 7:12
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In 1876, the Sioux leader Crazy Horse joined forces with Sitting Bull to defeat General Custer and his army at Little Bighorn. Not much later, though, starvation caused Crazy Horse to surrender to US troops. He was killed while trying to escape. Despite this sad conclusion to his life, he became a symbol of heroic leadership of a threatened people.

Today in the Black Hills of South Dakota, he is commemorated with a monument being carved into a mountain--the Crazy Horse Memorial. When complete, it will be 641 feet long and 563 feet high. It will show Crazy Horse riding a galloping horse, pointing the way to his people.

Thousands of years ago, the prophet Samuel used a much smaller memorial stone in a significant way. In the midst of a crucial battle with the Philistines, Samuel called out to God on Israel's behalf. The Lord answered his prayer (1 Sam. 7:;10). In gratitude, Samuel set up a stone "and called its name Ebenezer, saying, 'Thus far the LORD has helped us' " (v.12).

Samuel has set an example for our spiritual journey. We too can use tangible reminders of God's faithfulness to help us worship and serve Him. It's good to remember "thus far the LORD has helped us." __Dennis Fisher
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````````````````````PUTTING IT NTO PRACTICE``````````````````

``` . KEEP A SPIRITUAL JOURNAL AND RECORD GOD'S BLESSINGS.`````

`````````` .WRITE ANSWERS TO PRAYER IN YOUR JOURNAL.`````````

``````````.TELL A FRIEND WHAT GOD HAS DONE IN YOUR LIFE.```````
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Gratitude is the memory of a glad heart.

*************Today's Bible Reading __ 1 Samuel 7:3-12************

3 "If you return to the LORD
with all your hearts, then put
away the foreign gods and
the Ashtoreths from among
you, and prepare your heart
for the LORD, and serve Him
only; and He will deliver you
from the hand of the
Philistines." So the children
of Israel put away the Baals
and the Ashtoreths, and
served the LORD only.

5 And Samuel said, "Gather
all Israel to Mizpah, and I
will pray to the LORD for
you." 6 So they gathered
together at Mizpah,.... and
said there, "We have sinned
against the LORD." And
Samuel judged the children
of Israel at Mizpah.

7 Now when the Philistines
heard that the children of
Israel had gathered together
at Mizpah, the lords of the
Philistines went up against
Israel. And when the children
of Israel heard of it, they
were afraid of the Philistines.

8 So the children of Israel
said to Samuel, "Do not
cease to cry out to the LORD
our God for us, that He may
save us from the hand of the
Philistines."

9 And Samuel took a
suckling lamb and offered it
as a whole burnt offering to
the LORD. Then Samuel cried
out to the LORD for Israel,
and the LORD anwered him.

10 Now as Samuel was
offering up the burnt
offering, the Philistines drew
near to battle against Israel.
But the LORD thundered with
a loud thunder upon the
Philistines that day.....

12 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."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Baal (the sun god, the lord of heaven) and ashtoreth (the moon
godess, the queen of heaven) were the two principal deities of the
canaanites (Jer. 44:25). The Israelites began worshipping these idols
soon after arriving in the land (Judg. 2:8-13; 10:6). __Sim Kay Tee