A close friend who lives in another town texted: “I’m sorry you had to go back in the hospital. Was that expected or is this a setback?” I picked up a sinus infection several days ago and because my immune system is so compromised, I ended up spending five more days on the ninth floor at Emory. Here’s a great ‘setback’ story from the Old Testament:
So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 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. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. (Exodus 17:10-13)
Moses discovered that when his hands were down there was a setback; when his hands were up, there was victory. If this is the complete secret to success, surely my hands will always be up… and I’ll go undefeated. And if it works on the battlefield, then perhaps I can find a way to keep my hands up when I play my neighbor in checkers. And when I anticipate a long argument with my wife, I’ll invite Aaron and Hur to my house.
As far as we know, this is only time such battle tactics were used, but surely there is a message for God’s children. After the battle, “Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is My Banner. He said, ‘For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord.’” (Exodus 17:15-16)
I recently woke up in the middle of the night with these thoughts, and started feeling one of the lingering symptoms of the sinus infection. Two Tylenol always help with the headaches, so I rose, took two tablets and went back to bed. Twenty minutes later, I was still thinking about this story and my headache was much worse. Laying on my side, I lifted up my free arm and gained immediate relief from the pain. “Hmm,” I thought, “I don’t think Susan will appreciate me waking her up with the request to hold my hand toward the ceiling the rest of the night.” Thankfully the headache did not return.
Setbacks are a part of life, but God wants us to always live with Him as our Banner… and we need brothers and sisters like Aaron and Hur to do it. We cannot live victoriously without members of the Body of Christ reminding us of the Father’s heart and holding our hands up when we are weak.
To live as The Lord is My Banner, we must keep our eyes lifted up. “God is over all; He is not worried or confused; I will exalt Him.” The world cannot be expected to think or act this way, but God’s children can… because “we know and rely on the love God has for us.” In the last verse of 10,000 Reasons, Matt Redman says such living sustains us to the end of our time on earth and into life eternal.
And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come.
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore.Bless the Lord oh my soul. Oh my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before, oh my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name.
“I look up to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2
10,000 Reasons ©2011 Atlas Mountain Songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)