• 出埃及记 17

磐石出水

1 以色列全会众遵照耶和华的吩咐，从汛的旷野一段一段地往前行。他们在利非订安营，但百姓没有水喝。 2百姓就与摩西争闹，说：“给我们水喝吧！”摩西对他们说：“你们为什么与我争闹呢？你们为什么试探耶和华呢？” 3百姓在那里口渴要喝水，就向摩西发怨言，说：“你为什么把我们从埃及领出来，使我们和我们的儿女，以及牲畜都渴死呢？” 4摩西就呼求耶和华说：“我要怎样对待这百姓呢？他们差一点就要拿石头打死我了。” 5耶和华对摩西说：“你带着以色列的几个长老，走在百姓前面，手里拿着你先前击打尼罗河的杖，去吧！ 6看哪，我要在何烈的磐石那里，站在你面前。你要击打磐石，水就会从磐石流出来，给百姓喝。”摩西就在以色列的长老眼前这样做了。 7他给那地方起名叫玛撒，又叫米利巴，因为以色列人在那里争闹，并且试探耶和华，说：“耶和华是否在我们中间呢？”

击败亚玛力人

8那时，亚玛力来到利非订，和以色列争战。 9摩西对约书亚说：“你为我们选出人来，出去和亚玛力争战。明天我要站在山顶上，手里拿着上帝的杖。” 10于是，约书亚照着摩西对他所说的话去做，和亚玛力争战。摩西、亚伦和户珥都上了山顶。 11摩西何时举手，以色列就得胜；何时垂手，亚玛力就得胜。 12但摩西的双手沉重，他们就搬一块石头来放在他下面，他就坐在上面。亚伦与户珥扶着他的手，一个在这边，一个在那边，他的手就稳住，直到日落。 13约书亚用刀打败了亚玛力和他的百姓。

14耶和华对摩西说：“你要把这事记录在书上作纪念，又念给约书亚听：我要把亚玛力的名字从天下全然涂去。” 15摩西筑了一座坛，起名叫“耶和华尼西”。 16他说：“我指着耶和华的宝座发誓，耶和华必世世代代和亚玛力争战。”

• 以弗所书 3:21

愿他在教会中，并在基督耶稣里，得着荣耀，直到世世代代，永永远远。阿们！

“摩西何时举手，以色列就得胜；……。 但摩西的双手沉重，他们就搬一块石头来放在他下面，他就坐在上面。亚伦与户珥扶着他的手，……，他的手就稳住，直到日落。约书亚用刀打败了亚玛力和他的百姓。”（出埃及记17:11-13）

站在山头，把杖子举在头顶上虽然在战略上来说不是一个有胜算的作法，但它却是摩西指令约书亚用来对抗一个强大国家的主要策略。

他的行动不仅仅帮助以色列人打败了敌军，同时也示范了两种健康的方法，让你在遇到未知情况下能认知自己的有限。

1. 紧紧抓牢那位知道你未来的神。

只要是摩西将杖子举在头顶上，以色列人就得胜，但一旦他垂手，他们就开始输。摩西举杖就象征着神常与他们同在——神独自掌权。

像摩西一样，即便你发现你在这场战役中有多么匮乏，四处观看都似无望，却不要让它阻止你抓紧神的权柄，也不要停止追求神给你的应许。

2. 接受可信靠的友人跟你一起同行

仗继续在打，摩西的臂膀疲累不堪，当他必须要有别人的帮忙才能继续给以色列士兵打气时，他的战友们赶忙上前来撑住他的手膀，帮助以色列得到了胜利。

神没有给摩西超级的能耐来独撑此艰难的时刻——你也一样。有没有可能你的不足正是一个可以邀请别人跟你合作，和你一起来撰写一篇有关荣耀神故事的机会呢？

在动荡的时节里所获取的胜利通常不是光靠一个人的力量就能得到的——通常是紧靠神和依赖别人的支持的成果。因为神的信实，我们才能度过生命的风浪。而且当我们认清此点，我们就给了神一个可以在我们的软弱上显现并彰显的空间。

反思问题：

有那些你目前面对的环境会让你感到无法处理？

你有哪些信得过的友人可以来与你同行吗？

就在今天，你会在那些具体方面抓紧神的权柄？

• 花点时间向神献上感恩与祈求

• EXODUS 17

Water from the Rock

1 All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” 3But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Israel Defeats Amalek

8 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.

14Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, 16saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

• Ephesians 3:21

21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

The Israelites out-fought the Amalekites as long as Moses held up his arms … After a while, his arms were so tired that Aaron and Hur got a rock for him to sit on. Then they stood beside him and supported his arms … That’s how Joshua defeated the Amalekites. - Exodus 17:11-13

Standing on a hill with a staff over your head is not a strategic way to win a battle. And yet, that was essentially Moses’ plan when he instructed Joshua to go fight a powerful kingdom.

But his actions during this fight not only helped the Israelites defeat their enemy, they also illustrate 2 healthy ways to acknowledge your limitations in uncertain situations.

1. Cling to the One who knows your future.

As long as Moses held his staff above his head, the Israelites won, but as soon as he lowered it, they began to lose. By lifting his staff, Moses symbolically acknowledged God was always with them—and He alone was in control.

Like Moses, when you find yourself in a battle you know you’re ill-equipped to handle, look at the situation in front of you and observe what’s going on around you, but don’t let that stop you from clinging to God’s authority and pursuing what He’s promised you.

2. Allow trusted people to come alongside you.

As the fight continued, Moses’ arms weakened and he could not support the Israelite army without help. That’s when his trusted friends stepped in. By holding him up, they helped Israel achieve victory.

Moses wasn’t created to endure hard moments alone—and neither were you. What if your current limitation is actually an invitation for people to partner with you in the God-glorifying story He wants to tell through you?

The victories achieved in uncertain seasons are rarely due to our own strength—they’re a result of clinging to God and relying on others to support us. It is the faithfulness of God that sees us through the storms of life, and when we acknowledge that, we create space for God to show up and show off in our weaknesses.

Reflection Questions:

What situations are you facing that feel too big to handle?

Which trusted people can you ask to come alongside you?

In what specific way will you cling to God’s authority today?

• Take a moment to give thanks and prayers to God