In this particular passage in Exodus 17, the Israelites are being attacked by the Amalekites. So, naturally, Moses sends out an army to fight while he proceeds to climb up a mountain and hold up his staff. I say naturally with complete sarcasm. I mean, who thinks it's a good idea to climb up a mountain and hold a staff in the air while your people are literally fighting for their lives? The crazy thing is, as long as that staff was held high, his army was winning, but when he lowered the staff they would begin to lose.
I've read this so many times and thought this situation showcased some super crazy "God-magic"; however, I didn't see the point. But everything God does has a purpose. Everything. And if He didn't do it, He can work it together to accomplish a far greater purpose than we can imagine.
So, rather than sitting there marinating in the absurdity of this situation, I stopped reading and asked the Lord to show me something I had never seen before. He did, and he almost revealed it to me like I knew it the whole time.
The Lord had me zoom in on Moses' posture. If his arms were raised, they were winning. Interesting! When Moses was in the posture of surrender, they were winning. It seems counterintuitive, but isn't that just like the Kindom of God? And isn't that how we, as Christians, are supposed to live our lives? In surrender to God. It's as if the passage is showing us the way to win in life isn't to fight, or strive, or run to a life of safety; but rather to live our lives in surrender.
Great! Live a life of surrender! Deal? Deal!
But what about when surrender is hard?
My pastor said, "the most substantial struggle of your life is your surrender." I have to agree. There have been seasons in my life when the last thing I wanted to do was surrender. Rather than trusting God through the rapids, I would much prefer to execute my own plan, run back to comfort, or create my own path. Rather than operate by the bible, I sometimes want to operate out of what makes sense in my mind. There have been some seasons I just plain couldn't surrender. I was too tired, too emotional, and too discouraged. Who knew it would be a fight to surrender?
Guess what? Moses knew!
God wasn't surprised by it either. Why do you think God had Moses bring his small group to the top of the mountain with him? Oh, I forgot to mention that seemingly minor detail. Yeah, Moses brought two of his boys up the mountain with him. God knew Moses would need someone to give him a firm foundation to rest on, and someone to hold up his hands when He couldn't.
This resonated so deeply with me. God created us to live in a community. Living a life of surrender to Jesus is hard. We need the right people around to support us, keep us rooted in the foundation of Biblical truths, and to hold up our hands when we can't.
I used to feel like I had to do it all myself. I almost prided myself on not needing people. I really didn't like asking for help. Honestly, I still don't, but I'm learning that this community creates a place for me to live my fullest life in Jesus. The joys are maximized, and the sorrows become bearable in a community.
When I look back through difficult seasons of my life, I see specific people holding up my hands (even though sometimes it took a while for my stubborn self to allow anyone to help). In other seasons I was the one able to hold someone else's hands up. What a beautiful intention God had for his people when he created the community of the local church!
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| Words can't express how grateful I am for my community! |
If Moses climbed the mountain alone, I am convinced, the Israelites would have lost the battle. That's precisely what the devil wants too. He wants you in isolation because he knows it makes you vulnerable to his attacks. My mind was blown when I learned that you can't get a rat addicted to cocaine while he is operating in his community. You have to isolate him before he can be subject to the addiction. Isn't that crazy? I know, we're not rats, but I absolutely believe the devil wants you isolated for the same reason; to make you susceptible to his schemes. Please don't climb your mountains alone.
Moses surrounded himself with the right people and positioned himself in a posture of surrender to create a space for God to move, and we have the opportunity to do the same. I challenge you to not just go to church but to have a community within your church where you feel safe and supported. A place where you can be vulnerable. A place where you can live the life God intended you to live. A place where we can help each other fight to surrender together.
