Praise Him in the Midst

Have you ever been in the middle of conflict and just not seen a way out? The issues were too complex or too intimate to sort through and see a way out? The enemy was too strong and too much to see how peace could ever come? Struggling for recognition at work, struggling for peace in marriage, struggling for a paycheck that would stretch to the end of the month?

The Israelites were attacked by the Amalekites in Exodus 17:8-16. Joshua was charged with leading the army out to fight and Moses said he would go to the top of the hill with the staff of God in his hands. I’m not sure who had the more difficult job – to watch the fight or carry it out. How hard it is to see our loved ones as they struggle with enemies or are in conflict. Joshua was able to act but his life was in danger.

Persevere for peace

As long as Moses held his hands up, the Israelites won. As long as he was in the posture of surrender to God, his side won. Sounds easy enough, just praise God and all will come out well. But even this strong leader Moses got tired. He likely got discouraged. His friends held up his hands for him when he lost strength. He sat down and rested his legs though his arms were still upraised. Moses must have seen his friends fall he must have seen the tide turn for and against the Israelites. But when he dropped his hands, the Israelites headed toward loss. Moses had to persevere in his own weariness to see the peace.

Jehovah Nissi

Whatever we see in front of us, we have to believe that God is worthy of our praise and we have to praise Him. He is our rallying cry, the one who sustains us. His name is the banner that reminds me that all will be well because Jesus holds me in his hands. Our praise is the sign to others that we belong to Christ who died that we might live, who died that we might know his love and everlasting care for us. To make peace for the Israelites, Moses praised the Lord in the midst of the conflict. We have to invite God into the conflict. We have to invite Him to work and to lead and to establish the peace. The outcome is in God’s hands, peace will come to us when we praise Him, and peace will come to the conflict when we surrender to Him.