by Desiree Bustamante

When we focus on God and not our battles, we trust Him to fight for us.

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“So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.”
Exodus 17:10-13 New Living Translation

Raising hands often means victory. When someone wins a game or scores a goal, fans raise their hands in unison to cheer. But if the team they are rooting for fails to score, they often lose faith that they will be victorious. The people of Israel were struggling to trust God after they fled Egypt. God used Moses to show the Israelites that they could trust Him. When Moses’ arms were raised during a battle, they saw that God was helping them win, and when Moses lowered them and they began losing, they became afraid.

Raising our hands to God always means victory for us. Just like Israel, when we raise our hands in prayer to God, we are focused on Him and not on our battles. We know we can be triumphant against any struggle in life when we trust that our Savior is keeping the same covenant that he had with Israel—the covenant to rescue us from sin, death and Satan’s power. So, every time you raise your hands in victory when you are watching your favorite team win, remember you will always be victorious when you raise your hands to Jesus and trust Him with your life.

Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado