B90 Days SOAP: Helping and Being Helped

Scripture


Exodus 17:11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

 12 But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

Observation

During a battle of the Israelites against the Amalekites, whenever Moses held up his hands, in which was the staff with which he had parted the Red Sea, the Israelites did better.  Holding your hands up and away from the trunk of your body for extended periods of time is not easy, let alone when you are holding something.  Standing up just aggravates the situation.  Not only did Moses have helpers (Aaron and Hur), but he sat on a stone, thus putting his outstretched hands at a more comfortable height for his helpers.

Everyone needs help now and again.

Application

Sometimes, I don't like to ask for help.  It has been ingrained in me since I was young that "you do for yourself, by yourself".  If I didn't, I wasn't doing my job; I was failing.  I've carried a lot of guilt for a lot of years.

Even in the 1st six days of the "Bible in 90 Days" study in which I am participating, the Bible is FULL of examples of people needing and receiving help.

• God provided a help meet for Adam when he made Eve.
• God did not give an already completed ark to Noah.
• God gave Abraham an heir (Isaac) when both her and Sarah were old.
• God blessed and multiplied Jacob-Israel (and how!) even though he was Isaac's 2nd son, and by the tradition of man, not entitle to any inheritance from his father.
• God brought Joseph from young boy, through slavery and incarceration, to be Pharoah's right-hand man.
• God brought Moses from a Hebrew infant in danger from an extermination order, through the family of  Pharoah, to lead hundreds of thousands of the "nation of Israel" out of bondage.

And while I purposely started each of the above examples with blessings from God, each also includes plenty of help from mortal men and women.  We none of us get through this life by ourselves.  Sometimes we are the helpers, sometimes we are the ones in need of help.

Prayer

Dear Father in Heaven,

There is no better plan for life than the one which Thou hast provided us in Thy gospel.  I am humbled and grateful to have found such a great group with whom to study Thy word and learn more about Thee.  I thank Thee for Thy presence in my life and for the people whom Thou hast placed in my life.  I know that my family have received amazing assistance from quite a number of Thy servants.  I pray that we may be active in both watching for others whom Thou placest in our lives for us to assist, as I know that both helping and being helped are part of Thy plan also.

I pray these things in the name of Thy Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.