Devotions with Pastor Donny

Dear Church Family:​
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

We see in this passage Moses lifting his staff in a prayerful position of intercession. It is a visual reminder to us of God’s presence and power. We search our scriptural memory and recall that this is the very staff that Moses held tight-fingered at the burning bush. The same staff God used in an overlay of the miraculous in the presence of the Egyptians. The rod of Moses was a reminding relic of God’s previous triumphs over His enemies.

It is, however, no longer enough. Moses needs friends in facing the foes. He needs a band of brothers for the battle. Moses needs relationships; real flesh and blood folks who could sustain and bolster him in prayer for the combat before him.

In the weeks ahead we face the task of rebuilding much of what has been lost to us in our culture. We continue to face the effects and after effects of the coronavirus pandemic. We seek to regain the rhythms of our spiritual community at Wannamaker in a way that is safe for our most vulnerable. We face the accentuated problems of joblessness, addiction, depression, and domestic abuse. In a sense, it is what holy war looks like to us in this day and age. As Paul tells us, the weapons of our warfare look different. We do, however, ask the same kind of questions as those who came before us. How can I be an intercessor like Aaron or Hur to those struggling to persevere around me? How can I encourage and support them today?

Closing Prayer
Lord, grant us the spiritual resilience to intercede until our battles are won. Today, we take up the spiritual battles that we have so often put down too soon. We are grateful that we are not praying alone. We trust in the promises of God that a breakthrough is on the way. Gracious God, help us to live this day to the full. Amen!

Pastor Donny