Greetings everyone. I was talking to a group of young people just the other day and one of the individuals asked me who I was representing in the gathering and without hesitation I said Jesus. He looked at me with a puzzled expression. He then said to me “I have never had anyone say that to me in my life.” So now the question I ask you is who do you represent?
Today’s Prayer
Father, People have written books on how to be highly effective and successful leaders, churches, parents and so on. We want to become a more effective Christians. Please help us improve our walk and focus on You first in life. We’re giving our thoughts and actions to You. In our own human capacity, without Your guidance, it is impossible for us to be an effective Christians. May your Spirit flow through us and use us to minister to others, to reach out to the lost, and to love those around us with a godly love. May You be glorified. In the matchless name of Jesus we pray, Amen.
Let’s eat.
Making the Lord our Banner
Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. – (Exodus 17:15)
After I had the encounter with the above mentioned individual I went to the Word and the spirit led me to the scripture above. The story that goes along with this verse is that The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. God instructed Moses to stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in his hand. Moses’ staff represented something that God said He would use to bring glory to Himself. The staff represented what Moses had done for most of his life – shepherding. It was his vocation. When God first called Moses at the burning bush, He told him to pick up the staff; He would perform miracles through it.
God wants to perform miracles through each of our vocations. At Rephidim, God defeated the Amalekites only when Moses held his staff to Heaven. It was a symbol of dependence and acknowledgment that Heaven was the source of the Israelites’ power. When he dropped his hand, the power was removed and they began to lose the battle.
Each day we are challenged to reach toward Heaven and allow God to be the source of victory in our every endeavor or be defeated. God calls us to let His banner reign over our lives so that others may know the source of our victory. “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven’ ” (Ex. 17:14). The Lord wants those behind us and around us to know that He is the source of our power and success. With each victory is a testimony that is to be shared with our children and our associates.
Is the Lord your banner today? Reach toward Heaven and let His banner wave over you so that He might receive glory from your life.
Quote of the Day
God of our life, there are days when the burdens we carry chafe our shoulders and weigh us down; when the road seems dreary and endless, the skies grey and threatening; when our lives have no music in them, and our hearts are lonely, and our souls have lost their courage. Flood the path with light, run our eyes to where the skies are full of promise; tune our hearts to brave music; give us the sense of comradeship with heroes and saints of every age; and so quicken our spirits that we may be able to encourage the souls of all who journey with us on the road of life, to Your honor and glory. ~Augustine~