“Then Amalek [and his people] came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek [and his people]. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses said, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the hilltop. Now when Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and when he lowered his hand [due to fatigue], Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy, and he grew tired. So they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other side; so it was that his hands were steady until the sun set. So Joshua overwhelmed and defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.” (Exodus 17:8-13 The Amplified Bible)
In the passage above, Rephidim was to be a place of rest for God’s people, the Israelites. Yet, instead of the anticipated rest, they encounter an attack by the Amalekites. Now when come to your Rephidim; a place on your journey through life where you are expecting rest, but instead you encounter opposition, make the inspired word of God profitable for your personal situation. In other words, follow the pattern in the passage.
- Ready yourself to fight the good fight of faith. Remember, God is with you on your journey, and you just have to let Him lead you. Didn’t you say, “God is the head of my life?” Didn’t you sing, “Lead me, guide along the way?” Didn’t you state word- for-word the verses that say, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path?”
- Pray to God on high for yourself, but ain;t no harm in asking the under-shepherd at your church, to go up on high for you. Keep in mind that higher ground is better ground.
- Depend on your Help; the divine authority, the divine guidance, and the divine protection of God. (The staff of God in the text above represented exactly what I have told you to depend on.)
- Solicit some support from family members; relatives like Aaron and Hur in the opening passage, or church family members. At the least, they can hold you up in prayer and if possible, they can hold you up by their own strength in the Lord.
- Use your “sword,” the one mentioned in the full armor of God in The Book of Ephesians, Yes, use the word of God. Don’t just carry it around, but use it!
If you do these things, my friend, you can overwhelm and overcome your opposition and continue your journey in the days ahead. Make good use of your time and read the passage again in your Bible! Meditate on the above pattern! Pack the pattern in your spiritual warfare backpack so you will have it readily available the next time that something or someone tries to keep you from a much-needed rest on your upward climb. Have a wonderful day! Be blessed!
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:11-18 New International Version)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King