Skip to main content

I am with you Always


            In order to be successful in most areas of life, whether playing a game, paying your taxes, driving down the street or baking a cake, it is necessary know the rules and how things work.

           That principle is on display at the start of the Exodus.   As God begins to lead his people, he makes sure that they have the “baseline knowledge” that they need.  In fact, he communicates it to them in two ways:  First he shows them and then he tells them.
   
         The showing part is one of my favourite stories. “The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites… 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” (Exodus 17:8-13).
       
            I like this story because there is no ambiguity, or doubt as to why the Israelites won this battle.  Was it because they were stronger?  No!  Were they better strategists?  No!  Did they have better weapons?  No!  Why did they win?  They won because they trusted God and he gave them the victory.  Every time Moses stopped praying, they began to lose.  When he continues to pray, they win.  It is as simple as that.

           Then, just in case they did not make the connection, God says to them:  “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings” (Exodus 19:4).  He wanted them to remember that all these good things happened simply because God himself had “carried them” and looked after them.

           So the question becomes:  Do you believe in a God like that?  Do you believe that God knows you and is actively working in your life?

           You see, it is easy to believe in “some God somewhere”.  It is another thing to say, “God is with me”.

            Everything in the Spiritual realm works on that understanding.

            “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

 What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly.  https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s    
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This.... Which Way Are You Leaning?

   When Ben Patterson agreed to join three friends climbing Mount Lyell, the highest point in Yosemite National Park, he did not realize what he was signing up for.  Early in the day, it became clear that he was completely unprepared for the task.  In an effort to keep up with his more experienced friends, Ben took a shortcut.  It did not occur to him that there might be a reason the others had not selected this route, but he soon found out why.  Ben became stuck on the glacier.  He could not move up, down or sideways and one wrong move would send him sliding down a forty-five-degree slope to the valley floor miles below.   That is when one of his friends came to the rescue. His buddy leaned over the edge and carved some footholds in the ice.  He told Ben to step to the first foothold and immediately swing his other foot to the second, then his buddy would pull him to safety.  Lastly, his friend gave him one more piece of advice....
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This: Press The Button!

  Consider This:  Press the Button! My favourite TV game show is Jeopardy.  I used to like it even more when my kids were younger, because I could easily beat them and look smart.  These days, after they have grown up and gone to university, it is much more difficult.  However, Jeopardy is still the only game show I will watch. In a book I read, a contestant who did very well on the show shared the secret to his success.  He said (and I am paraphrasing here), “You must press the button before you know the answer.  Everyone on Jeopardy is smart. Everyone knows the answer. The key to winning is to act.  You must jump in and press the button, assuming that your brain will catch up and supply the answer.  If you wait until you are sure, you will be too late!” Press the button! Too often, we hesitate, not because we do not know what to do, but because we do not want to do it.  Sometimes, we fail to act because we are not sure how the situatio...
Post a Comment
Read more