One of my favorite Bible stories is in the book of Exodus. The story demonstrates unity and what is possible when we come together with the help of the Lord. We can accomplish the unthinkable. Said again another way, we are "Better Together".
Before I departed from West Virginia I had a staff made, something that looks like the staff Moses may have used thousands of years ago. On it I had burned the words, BETTER TOGETHER, War Eagle, and Exodus 17:8-13. As I broke out the staff and showed the team, I had a player, Dylan, come forward and hold the staff over his head. He remained holding the staff as I shared.
The Israelites were traveling through the wilderness, towards the Promised Land. On the way, they had to face many battles. Exodus 17:8-13 says:
8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”
10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 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. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
After having a player read this passage aloud, Dylan already looked tired. So, I asked for Wen and Tre to come help, playing the role of Aaron and Hur in the passage we just read.
By the end, all the guys were tired of holding that staff in the air. I had to remind them that Moses held that staff until sunset! All day!
The point I wanted to emphasize was that this battle showed that the Israelites could not gain victory by the sword alone but by the power of God, as they relied on Him. When the men down in the battlefield looked up, they saw Moses holding up the staff which provided confidence knowing it brought down power from God above!
Like then, on the team everyone has a role: Moses (coaches), Joshua (players doing battle on the court), or Aaron and Hur (players, staff and supporters on the side lines cheering and encouraging). Without EVERYONE WORKING TOGETHER, goals are not met, the team can’t function and the war is lost.
On a personal level, this lesson was also a reminder that God will fight your battles! Whether physically, mentally, spiritually or whatever, give it to God and allow him to fight for you.
Romans 8:31 says, if God is for us who can be against US!!
What’s the key word? US! We are BETTER TOGETHER!
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