Support

When I was pregnant with my youngest, I had a really easy pregnancy until the last three weeks. But I hurt so much and so constantly the last three weeks as my body prepared for labor, that it nearly overshadowed all the good weeks. I asked the ladies at our Wednesday night Bible study to pray that my baby would hurry up and join us, because I hurt all the time and was having incredible difficulty taking care of my little family. I didn't want to ask them to help me with my responsibilities. My thought was, "I got myself into this situation, and I need to handle it." But my sweet sisters did my laundry and provided meals for us for the rest of that week. And I was thankful.

Fast forward about eight years. I have a whole other set of responsibilities and difficulties all revolving around the same family. And I am still reluctant to ask for help, because I still think that I've gotten myself into this situation and I should handle it. So I was both challenged and encouraged while I read about Moses this morning.

Moses acted as both prophet and priest for the Israelites. He spoke God's words to them, and he interceded on their behalf before the Lord. In terms of responsibility, Moses was no slouch. But there are two scenes back to back, which give us a glimpse of Moses' need. First, Moses stands on a hill as Joshua leads the army into battle. As long as Moses keeps his arms raised, the Israelites are winning the battle. But when his arms fall, they begin to lose. While God could have easily supplied Moses with supernatural endurance, He chooses instead to use the people in Moses' life to support him. His brother Aaron, and another man named Hur stand on either side of Moses and give him the support to hold up his arms until the end of the battle. Then in the following chapter, Moses' father-in-law instructs him to stop trying to settle all the Israelites' disputes by himself. In fact, he tells Moses that he is wearing out himself AND the people.

And I began to think... I worry about "how much" I have to do. But I certainly don't have more on my plate than Moses did. And I think that my family will fall apart if I don't get the laundry done, and cook, and clean, and get through that certain number of lessons in their schoolwork, and balance the checkbook, and... and... and... But the Lord is gently teaching me that I am needy. And that I NEED to ask for help when life gets tough. Not just from Him, but also from the people He has placed in my life. And, dear Christian, you do too.

Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, "Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand." So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.
Exodus 17:8-13