Help! I’m Weak!

Exodus 17:8-13

One of the biggest struggles that we have with pride is that we think we can do it on our own. We think we are strong enough to do the task, endure the affliction, or work through the problem. The reason we do this is that we don’t want to give the appearance that we are spiritually weak or we don’t want to burden other people with our problems.

Moses needed help! He was a great man of God and a strong leader, but also he was human and could only bare so much, getting tired like the rest of the Israelites. God’s people were at war with the Amalekites and Joshua was leading the army as Moses was interceding for the army. In every spiritual battle, there is a need for warriors and prayer warriors.

As long as Moses was able to hold up his staff, Israel was winning. But when his hands grew heavy and began to fall, that’s when the momentum would change and the Amalekits would prevail. After a while, two of Moses faithful servants, Aaron and Hur, would hold up his hands until the battle was over and victory was won. It probably took a lot of humility for Moses to admit as a leader he needed holding up, but without it God’s people would have been defeated. If this would have happen, the messiah, Jesus, would have never came about.

Two lessons are to be learned here.

First, it teaches us that we need one another. Even the strongest and most spiritual among us need encouraging from time to time. It is easy to grow weary in well doing when we are “Fighting the good fight of faith.” (1 Timothy 6:12) like Moses, we need the Aaron’s and Hur’s of our congregation to be discerning and come along side of us to help “Lift up the hands that hang down…” (Hebrews 12:12) We are to “Consider one another to provoke unto love and good works.” When it is all said and done and we have entered into our eternal rest, I believe that we will learn that “No man lives unto himself or dies unto himself.” (Romans 14:7) We will learn that we needed the Lord’s help and in many situations he used other people to do it.

Secondly, we learn that even Jesus needed his hands held up in order to win the victory for us over sin and Satan. But it was not any of his disciples that held them up. It was the nails! The Bible tells us the Jesus “Treaded the wine press alone.” (Isaiah 63:3) What seemed to be a time of weakness for God in the flesh, was actually his greatest and strongest triumph on earth. “He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:8) Only Jesus has they power to enter into death and overcome it by being raised on the third day.The scars that were evident in his hands are a token reminder of how our salvation is held up in the work of the cross and his advocacy in heaven.

Jesus did it alone but you and I can’t! We need one another! We need to hold one another up in prayer, by offering words of encouragement, and doing kind deeds. But most of all as Christians we have to confess and believe what Jesus said that “Without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) Don’t let pride and self sufficiency keep you from acknowledging your weaknesses. Do as Paul did in 2 Corinthians 12:9,10 by boasting in my Weaknesses that the power of Christ would rest upon me. I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Go to the Lord for help and let the Lord help you by giving grace through the power of the Holy Spirit and a faithful brother or sister in Christ to help hold you up.

Pastor Robby