Quite a few years ago, I was at a church where we were going through a time of transition. There was nothing wrong in the church. It was a time when people were coming in and out and you couldn’t tell if they really cared. They would come to church Sunday morning and then that was it. The rest of the week the church was left to run itself and all the things that needed to be done throughout the week. From what I have observed, it really is true in most churches that a small number of people are the ones that do all of the work. The leadership seems to carry a heavy load that those surrounding them could help lessen.
I asked my Pastor if he got discouraged when he saw how people didn’t seem to care if things got done or not. He would never admit to being discouraged. He was always an encourager. I got the, “Dead men can’t be discouraged,” talk. He told me that he tried to get up and die to himself every day so that he could allow Christ to live through him. I think his discouragement came in the form of fatigue. When we saw this, we tried to encourage him and lift him up.
I have some questions for you. Have you ever gone up to the front of the church during the invitation and told your pastor that you did not have a need but that you were there to pray for him? Have you told your Sunday school teacher that you appreciate them and all they do to prepare for Sundays? Have you gone to someone that you see is just a hard worker in your church and told them that you appreciate all they do? Is there someone that ministers specifically to you on a regular basis that you can lift up or encourage? We might be able to lessen each others’ loads a bit if we took the time to lift each other up, maybe even hold each other up from time to time.
We can see this played out in God’s Word. Moses led the Israelites out from Egypt. Then we see through Exodus 17:1-7, that they had travelled out of the desert of Sin and were camped at Rephidim. The people were complaining and complaining…and complaining that they were thirsty, they had no water. They did not seem to be supportive of Moses, even after all God had done through him. They even accused God of bringing them out into the wilderness to kill them. Moses was about to give up on them. God told him to strike the rock to bring water. The leaders saw everything come to pass that God told Moses to do to bring the water out of the rock.
Then within Exodus 17:7-13, we see where the Israelites face another challenge. Amalek came to fight against them. Moses told Joshua to choose some men and go fight. He told him he would stand on the top of the hill in the morning, holding the rod of God in his hand, (which was the rod that he had held out to part the Red Sea.)
Joshua obeyed and he and the men fought with Amalek. Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. As Joshua and the men fought, Moses held up the rod of God in his hand. As long as Moses was holding up his hand. Joshua would be winning. Then when he dropped his hand down, Amalek would begin winning.
As the battle raged on, Moses’ hands became heavy and he had difficulty holding them up. Aaron and Hur found a stone and placed it so Moses could sit on it. As Moses sat, Aaron and Hur, one on each side of him, lifted up his hands and held them up. They held his hands steady until the sun set. With Moses, Aaron and Hur at the top of the hill, Joshua and his men beat Amalek and his people.
The Israelites were able to win this battle because they had Moses and the rod of God; and Moses had support from those around him. Joshua was in the trenches doing battle, Aaron and Hur were close by giving him intimate support. They each supported each other to get through the battle.
It can be a challenge to see when we need to lend support to our leaders. Leaders lead. We don’t often think of them as needing support or encouragement or even leadership. So our challenge might be to be sensitive to the needs of those that lead us, along with trying to encourage those around us that support us.
How can we apply this passage to our lives? How much do we serve those that serve us—encourage those that encourage us? Do we just expect our leaders to service us with no reciprocation? Those that lead can easily burn out if they are continually pouring out for us and not having their own cup refilled. We should find ways to uplift and encourage the ones that minister to us and lead us, whether it be a minister, a teacher, a boss, a spouse or a friend.
What does this mean to my faith? My faith is strengthened when I see other followers of Christ supporting and encouraging those around them. God has given us pictures all throughout Scripture to model how we should treat each other.
Lord, I am thankful for those You have surrounded me with that support and encourage me. Help me live each moment of each day in a way that honors You and encourages others, especially those that lead me closer to You.
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“8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. 10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.” Exodus 17:8-13 (KJV)
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I feel that since God has given me the gift of this platform, I must always tell you about my Jesus.
What is your relationship to the all-knowing God of the universe? Do you know Jesus? Do you know the peace that can come only from an intimate relationship with Him? You can know Him. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, born into human flesh, sinless, crucified and giving His life freely, buried, arisen on the third day, will come into your life and change the outcome of your eternity. You just have to be willing to believe and accept His truth.
In addition, here is an excellent page that can give you additional information on peace with God: PeaceWithGod.net.
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Restricted Vision, Unburdened Sight 