Saturday, October 15, 2011
Exodus 17:15-16 Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. He said, "For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD. The LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation."
HOLD UP YOUR HANDS TO THE LORD
The New International Version (NIV) catches the thought of the last verses well: "Moses built an altar and called it, The Lord is my Banner. He said, 'For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD.'" Lifting up hands to the Lord is a position of prayer. Moses was not just holding up his hands for the people to see and be encouraged, he was calling upon God for help in the battle.
When we face the spiritual battles in life, we need to hold up our hands to the Lord -- to call upon Him in prayer. He will come to your aid. God promises, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble, I will deliver you and you shall glorify Me" (Psalm 50:15).
The outcome and success of anything that we do doesn't depend on how good we are or how hard we try. God alone can bless us with success. As we read in Psalm 127, "Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchmen stays awake in vain." So whatever you do, do it with all your might, but don't trust in your might, call upon the Lord and trust in Him.
Remember what King David says in Psalm 37:5, "Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass." The greatest foolishness is to seek something you feel is important in your life, but in order to get it you think you have to work harder and therefore you don't have time for worship of the Lord and hearing His word. "Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass." Seek God and His will first. Continue in His word. Call upon Him in prayer. Only He can bless what you do.
We will face many attacks in our life, but fight the good fight with all your might, looking to the rod of God, His Word, for your strength and protection, calling upon Him in prayer for every need, especially for forgiveness and salvation and "He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday."
