One of my friends repairs and then resells discarded furniture. She found a “Parlor table” that she loved but it wobbled. She purchased it anyway and took it home. She tried squirting wood putty into the place where the top screwed into the pedestal base. It still wobbled. Next, she inserted stints on either side to see if that would hold the tabletop in place. Nope. Finally, taking it to a professional woodworker who inserted two “L” shaped steel braces did the trick.
Sometimes in life, our stance can get a bit wobbly, too. Not totally out of control but definitely off-kilter. A call from the doctor saying our lab results were not normal. Our car breaks down and the repairman says repairs will run about a thousand dollars The police phone in the middle of the night to say our child has been arrested for drunk driving. Our employer informs us that we are the victims of downsizing.
We can try to handle it ourselves. We can become anxious and toss and turn. Or escape reality through sugar highs, carb binging, drugs, or alcohol, but perhaps we need more — we need bracing. And that’s okay. Moses did, too.
The Hebrews were attacked unawares. As long as Moses held his hands high they were winning the battle, but when he became tired, his legs became unsteady and his arms drooped. The enemy suddenly had the advantage.
When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. Exodus 17:12
God could have supernaturally strengthened Moses’ arms. Instead, He allowed Moses to weaken so his family and friends had the opportunity to come to his rescue. Faith in action. But it was more than simply helping their tribes win. They saw what happened while Moses raised his hands, and they knew this was a divine intervention. They acted in faith and allowed God to use them.
Do we act in faith? When something comes suddenly upon us to off-center our world and after battling it on our own we grow tired and wobbly, do we seek to be braced by God? Do we lean on Him?
He may brace us in many ways – He may send faithful family and friends to pray for us and assist us. He may send an unexpected check in the mail, which happened to me when my car needed Megabucks service a few weeks ago. Perhaps seeking out a Christian counselor is the best solution.
God never allows tragedy or trials to come our way without a reason. He will be there if we call upon Him for divine intervention. And it may be in a way we had not anticipated. One thing is certain, there is always a lesson to be learned. For Moses, and perhaps for us, it is that we need God. We can’t walk this world alone, much less be His advocate, on our own strength.
So, steady on.
Where Did You Find God Today? 