Exodus 17:8-16 (NIV)
The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”
So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, 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, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—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.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered...”
Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. He said, “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”
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I'm going to be honest upfront so you can decide whether or not you'd like to keep reading. I don't have the energy to be witty or clever tonight. This blog post won't include a fuzzy story to keep things light, and it might not be very eloquent. Here's why: The enemy of my soul nearly knocked the wind out of me this week. I've had to wake up, stand up, and put up my dukes, spiritually speaking. Ever been there? If you have, you might understand why I felt the need to put everything on hold and have church tonight. You're welcome to join me, or if you've had enough already, you can go ahead and X-out of this window. I won't judge. I know those funny cat videos won't watch themselves. Still there? Cool. I hope this post is worth your while. Go ahead and read the passage to the left. You'll need that if you want to follow along. (It's about how Moses had to keep his hands raised while the Israelites fought the Amalekites.) This story of perseverance in the midst of battle has been running through my mind all day. The Spirit of God even brought a little 3-point message to heart, complete with a song list. Hope this has meaning for you as it does for me... | |
Put Up Your Dukes
3 Keys to Victory
1. Choose to Fight
| Whom Shall I Fear (God Of Angel Armies) Chris Tomlin See Lyrics > |
We have to make a conscious decision to fight the battles in our own lives. Ephesians 6 charges us to put on the full armor of God. It's up to us to get dressed. The armor won't do us any good on the hanger. Whether we're struggling at work, or in our home, or in our body, or in habitual sin, or in any other way, we essentially have two options. We can either (a) make up our minds to fight or (b) do nothing and await destruction.
2. Flaunt Your Faith
| I'm Walking in Authority Donnie McClurkin See Lyrics > |
After all, if God is for us, who can be against us? (See Romans 8:31-39). I don't think we should spout out Bible verses everywhere we go and become unrelatable. I'm merely suggesting that we take on the posture of a conqueror—speaking, praying, and singing with faith in the midst of our struggles (Psalm 30:1,2).
One challenge is that, when we're feeling oppressed, we tend to look down, not up. We want to crawl under a rock, not climb a hill. It takes a whole lot of trying just to get up that hill. (High five if you just belted the theme song of The Jeffersons.) But just as Moses leaned on the staff of God during his climb, we too can we can find support through God's Word and prayer.
3. Lean on Your Friends
| I Need You to Survive Hezekiah Walker See Lyrics > |
I like to think of myself as independent. I don't want to lean on anyone. I want to be the stable one, not the weak one. But the truth is, if we love those who look up to us, we'll take whatever measures are necessary to stay strong for them. We'll swallow our pride and ask for help when we need it.
God designed the church in such a way that we must rely on one another in order to function. We can't think of ourselves too highly and try to go it alone (See Romans 12:3-8). If you're facing a trial, invite a trustworthy friend to listen to your heart, stand beside you, and hold you up in prayer. You'll have the opportunity to be strong in return soon enough. Chances are, your friends need someone to lean on too.
Here's a link to "Lean On Me"... I couldn't help myself.
Finally...
When all is said and done, don't forget to remember. Just as Moses made an altar and called it "The Lord is My Banner," we should set up altars of remembrance in our own lives. Remembering how God brought us through a trial can provide the strength that we'll need to put up our dukes in the future.
