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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 basic principle is clearly on display in the book of Exodus.  As God prepares to lead his people out of their slavery in Egypt, 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 he 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”. 

            Faith will only become important and start to mean something in my life when I come to believe that God is involved in my life right now.

            That one belief can start to change everything.
 
            “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)

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