Exodus 17:8 “Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim”.

Exodus 17 gives us an amazing story about how Moses dealt with the problem of the Amalekites who came to attack the people of Israel.

Who are the Amalekites?

Amalekites were of Edomite origin.
They were descendants of Esau in Genesis 36, Amalek is listed as the thirteenth descendant of Esau.
They were nomads, living out in the desert regions.
They survived by attacking and killing the neighbouring people to take their possessions and cattle and anything of worth.

So in verse 8, we see that without any warning, they came to attack the Israelites.

Life can be like that for all of us:

Without any warning at all, life throws up a major battle for us like the Amalekites.
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Our lives may get crushed by a major catastrophe.

And, we may be left in shock and distress and torn out completely, not knowing which way to turn.

But here, we need to learn how Moses handled the situation, and the example he leaves us here, gives us some direction on how to cope prayerfully with the crises we face in our lives today.

If there is a crisis in our life, the lack of making proper plans is not a sign of godliness: it’s a sign of spiritual ignorance.

We are all called to take some degree of responsibility for our lives.

And that is exactly what Moses did when he was faced with an Amalekite attack.

He was not waiting for something from heaven to wipe out the Amalekites:
… but he sorted out his leaders, he sorted out his strategy, he sorted out his troops, and he got them ready for a counter-attack.

BUT…. WHEN WE FACE OUR CRISES IN LIFE, PRACTICAL PLANNING JUST ISN’T ENOUGH

WE NEED TO BACK OUR ACTIVITY UP WITH SOME SERIOUS PRAYER.
Prayer is real. Prayer is powerful. Prayer works.

But … there are many times when our arms drop in prayer.

What burdens do we carry this morning?

What is the emotional baggage that weighs us down?

Here , God’s promise to each one of us this morning:
………… that no matter how big your crisis, or the depths of your suffering,
……………. God will not allow us to be swallowed up by it.
……………….. He fights for us each and every day and, in the strength and power of God, our victory over life’s struggles is secure.

Jooley Mathew Z
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