Dear Drawing Near community…. that is the way I wish to start this blog. We are all part of a community seeking to draw near to God– to His Son and His Holy Spirit. We need one another on this journey. We need fellowship from other believers and we need people like Moses and Aaron who help one another during the raging battles of life. In case you do not know the story or have forgotten it here it is:
So Joshua fought the Amelkites as Moses had ordered and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron and Hur climbed the hill.
Did you notice that Moses wasn’t alone? Aaron and Hur went up the mountain with him.
As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands the Amalekites were winning. When Moses grew tired…
Did you notice the second big thing? Moses got tired. The battle raged on and like all of us in a battle we grow weary.
They took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it.
What great friends, They offered him a seat to help out. But they didn’t stop there.
Aaron and Hur held his hands up– one on one side, one on the other– so that his hands remained steady.
And now we see the best part. They held up his hands. Why? So that he could remain steady.
And I repeat. We need one another to help us fight our battles. We need friends who will hold us up and remain with us until the battle is over; friends who will climb up the mountains of life that are difficult and discouraging and sometimes downright terrifying.
In a society that tends to be a bit self centered, it is refreshing to have friends who are God centered; friends who will walk the extra mile up the mountain with us. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus described life in the kingdom; a life lived for Christ and following Him closely.
And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
What in the world? It’s hard enough to go 1/2 mile with someone who is driving you crazy or is needy, or is asking you to climb mountain after mountain with them! What if you are too busy? What if you have your own problems to deal with? What if…. (fill in the blank- we all have our “what ifs”).
We go. We climb. We hold up their arms. We love as Christ did and we help them get to the other side of their mountain.
Can I be honest with you? My days are often packed. There are days when I want to run away. There are days when the three deadly “D'”s threaten to overtake me:
Discouragement—Disappointment—Doubt
And then my phone rings, or I receive a text or an email asking for my help; asking me to go up the mountain with them or hold up their arms. I have learned that when I stop and help, the Lord pours into me the opposite three ‘D”s.
Dynamics (that is his power)– Designated time to help–Dying to self
So next time someone asks you to go the extra mile. Ask the Lord for His power, time, and the ability to lay down your interest for the interest of others. The rewards are sometimes intangible, but Christ’s love will be evident working through you. And the best part of it all? God will be glorified!
….Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)
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