Held Up Together

The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites...Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out and fight. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands." So Joshua fought the Amalekites...and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses' hands grew tired...Aaron and Hur held up his hands--one on one side, one on the other--so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. ~ Exodus 17:8-13

Moses was one of those people who never did anything "on the fly." He sought God with strong determination. He prayed and was daily walking with the Lord. But, like all of us, he was just a man and needed his friends on each side to help him win the battle. Moses was very intentional. He specifically chose Aaron and Hur to accompany him, because he knew they would not abandon their post at his side, but would help to keep him going.

Are you battling something today? Perhaps your marriage doesn't look the same as it did when you were engaged. Perhaps your rose-colored glasses have fallen off and you now see the world only through dark lenses. Or perhaps your children aren't the angels they were when they were younger and you're tired of sleepless nights, worrying about where they are and what they are doing. Perhaps your pain is a medical issue and "standing strong in your faith" isn't quite as easy as it sounds. Perhaps your job, the "perfect" job, boss, pay, etc., isn't all it's cracked up to be and things have become so stressful that you're thinking of walking away. Perhaps money is tight and you or your spouse hasn't worked in several months. But instead of leaning more on each other, you're bickering with each other. Instead of fighting for each other, you're fighting with each other. You're so stressed to the core that your heart aches for better days long ago that you think will never be again. What are you to do?

Follow the example that Moses gave. Moses took two people to stand with him for his part of the battle. Those two people eventually held him up when he had no strength left of his own. Remember, whenever Moses lifted his hands up to the Lord, the Israelites were winning. But, whenever he lowered his hands, the other side was winning. If you are in a battle and you feel like the "other side" is winning, don't give up, don't call it a day; call in reinforcements! Lift your hands up to the Lord and ask others to join with you, to stand with you, to pray with you, to encourage you. Then, when the day comes that you're too weary and weak to lift your hands up on your own, your friends, your partners, your brothers and sisters in Christ can hold them up for you. We were never meant to walk through this life alone, that's why God gave us brothers and sisters in Christ. Call upon them, ask them to stand with you, and win the battle.