Have you ever felt so mentally & physically exhausted that even the power to pray feels impossible? Moses did.
The Israelites had just escaped slavery to the cruel Egyptians & the 600,000 began their 40 year trek to the promised land. Just a few months into their journey, they were attacked by the warriors of Amalek. Moses commands Joshua to choose some men and enter the battle in the valley. Moses, however, stood on the hilltop also battling in a different manner.
Joshua uses his arms to fight & Moses uses his arms to pray. Throughout the battle he holds up his staff so that all men could see this man of God praying & believing that their God would lead them to victory!
Joshua’s hands engage in fighting, though there’s no mention of him tiring. Moses’s hands engage in prayer, but sometime during the battle, he simply becomes too tired to continue. The very moment his arms drop, the Amalekites gain the advantage.
Sometimes battling in prayer for something can feel far more exhausting than the actual fighting. In fact, a lot of times I’d rather DO something or FIGHT FOR something rather than “simply pray.”
Lucky for Joshua, Moses had two men, Aaron & Hur, by his side who knew just what to do. They find a stone for him to sit on and each man stands alongside Moses & holds up his arms! As long as his arms are held high, even with the help of his friends, Joshua continues to overwhelm the enemy! They continue to stand with him until sunset, ending the day with victory!
Y’all this is such a picture of so many things but today I hear this:
Who is your Aaron & your Hur?
We WILL face persecution & hardship this side of heaven & like Moses, we just might need the support of a friend to make it through.
Father, I’m so aware that we could not have made it through stormy seasons without our Aarons & Hurs! They couldn’t have helped if they didn’t know what was happening. It’s so easy to hole up & withdraw when things are hard. Help us to be humble like Moses & accept the help & support from our friends. Many times the very real battles we face are won not with physical fortitude, but in the secret place of prayer along with the help of our friends!
EXODUS 17:8-19:15
MATTHEW 22:34-23:12
PSALM 27:7-14
PROVERBS 6:27-35
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