And then they held his arms

Yesterday, tears were running down my face as I prayed for a dear friend of mine. The trials she and her family are facing right now are oh so difficult. As I was praying, I was suddenly reminded of Moses holding up his arms in the book of Exodus. If you recall the story, as long as Moses held his arms in the air (giving God the victory) the Israelites won the battle against the Amalekites. Whenever Moses lowered his hands, the Israelites would start to lose. As you can only imagine, Moses’ arms became tired. Because of this two men brought a rock over for him to sit on and then held his arms up for him.

These two friends were there for Moses when his physical strength was tapped. I want to be there for the people in my life as well as well. There may be times when I physically hold my friends and let them cry. At other times, holding up their arms will mean more of a spiritual surrender, times in which I pray for them and the battle that rages on in their own lives. In all things, I pray that God will reign victoriously in their lives.

Deployments are such times of battle. As our husbands fight overseas, we face so many trails back here on the home front. I know this time in my life won't be easy, but I'm determined to look outside of my own needs and love those around me more completely, through my actions, through my prayers, and through my daily life.

Because we were meant to fight this battle together.

"At Rephidim, Amalek  came and fought against Israel. Moses said to Joshua, ‘Select some men for us, and go fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with God's staff in my hand.’ Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought against Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. While Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, but whenever he put his hand down, Amalek prevailed. When Moses' hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put [it] under him, and he sat down on it. Then Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his army with the sword.” (Exodus 17:8-13, HCSB).

Be still

“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:13b-14).

As I read these verses, I started to think about all the things I worry about on a daily basis… the list was a long one. It includes everyday things, like the dirtiness of my house, balancing the budget, finishing an article, and bigger things, like military deployment. I worry about the future, if I’ll be a good mother, how we’ll provide for a family, if my future children will know their grandparents. I stew about things that have yet to come to pass, forgetting about God’s unending provision up until now.

And then I’m reminded of the words of Moses in Exodus 14. In this passage of scripture the Israelites have just escaped from the hands of the Egyptians. They have seen God’s miraculous miracles, yet they are still fearful of what lies ahead. Instead of trusting God, they panic and want to return to slavery in Egypt. Moses tells them to do one thing: be still. He doesn’t tell them to fight, he doesn’t tell them to stay busy and do as much work as possible, he just tells them to be still and watch for the deliverance of the Lord.

Today I need deliverance from my own worries and fears. With the possibility of my own husband fighting a war overseas, I can be fearful and distraught, or I can trust that the Lord will deliver my husband from harms way. I can worry about my future role as a parent, or I can trust that God will be my deliverer even then. I can fret and complain, or I can be still and let God work. The choice is always there. Sometimes I hold onto my fears, other times I let go.

Today, I’m ready to let God fight my battles, both big and small. What about you? What battles, physical, mental, or spiritual, are you facing today? Where do you need to be still and let God take control?