It’s one of the hardest and most humbling lessons that I’ve needed (and still need) to learn in life. My desire for independence gets in the way. My perfectionist tendencies tell me that nobody else can do it as well as I can. I don’t want to impose on other people’s time and resources. The goal needs to be achieved on my schedule and that is usually an immediate need. I don’t see my own deficiency or inadequacy to do the job myself. I want the thrill or satisfaction of doing it on my own. Or, perhaps it is just simple pride. No matter what the reason (or excuse), I have always found it hard to ask other people for help.

Perhaps this was a little how Moses felt at times. While he was born a Hebrew slave, he was raised as a king’s son. He got the best housing, education, social relationships, and other opportunities that could be offered in that day. If that wasn’t enough, after fleeing for forty years, Moses had met the God of the universe and heard His voice speaking to him. He had been chosen to lead over a million of his Hebrew relatives out of slavery from under the oppression of the world’s greatest superpower of the day. He did this with nothing more than a staff and the power of God working through him. After fleeing over the Red Sea, he personally received the commandments of God and often interceded with God on behalf of the people. The people eventually revered, respected, and followed him as they saw him as a man of God. Even today, Moses is considered one of the greatest prophets, leaders and men of God in human history.

Yet, Exodus 17:8-13 tells of a time when even mighty Moses needed a lift. The people were fighting a battle with the Amalekites. Moses knew that God wanted the Israelites to defeat their enemy, telling them “Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand” (v.9). Moses would stand on the hill overlooking the battle as a symbol that God was on their side. But this would turn out to become more than just a symbolic stance, as they soon found that they only were winning the battle when Moses raised his hands. Now, nearly every person on the planet can raise their hands. Yet, for an extended time such as this battle required, even a simple task such as this quickly became overwhelming. Moses needed help. So, the Bible tells us that 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” (v.12). The battle was eventually won through their combined efforts. It seems that Moses needed help in order to help the people.

It wasn’t that Moses was not relying on God’s power. It wasn’t that Moses was not incapable. It was simply that some situations in life are designed by God to require us to work together. We need each other! Sometimes we may need a lift physically (like Moses to keep his arms raised). Sometimes we may need a lift emotionally (like Elijah who felt all alone after defeating the prophets of Baal). Sometimes we may need a lift spiritually, to get us back on the right path with God. You may need to swallow some pride to ask for that help. You may need to search deep to bring out the gratitude and appreciation when someone sees a need in our lives and offers to fill a hole. You may need to accept that while others are not gifted in the same way or may do something the same way as you, God has put them in your life at this moment to give you a lift. As a church, we need each other. The internet, online church, social isolation, and many other philosophies in our society have crept in to convince us that we can “do” the Christian life on our own. Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us to “consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” You never know when you may find yourself in a situation like Moses where God wants you to have a victory, but you need a lift from someone else in order to gain God’s best for you!