JEHOVAH NISSI - THE LORD MY BANNER

One of the very many things I love about God is that He is so personal. I love that He can and will have a relationship with all who call on Him and He will chase our hearts as long as it takes for us to accept His love. It is therefore no surprise to me that I love knowing that in addition to all the amazing things He is, He is also MY banner.

In Exodus while Moses was leading the Israelites through the wilderness, they encountered the Amalaekites. This was not just any old encounter. The Amalaekites were warriors. I can only imagine how the Israelites felt at that moment. Literally from frying pan to fire. They had just escaped the Egyptians after years of slavery. I'm sure all they wanted was to get to the promise land and sleep. But no. God had other plans for them.  So, they encountered the Amalaekites and as expected the meeting turned into a full-fledged war. This miraculous thing happened though. Moses who was standing on the hill lifted his rod (the same rod that he had used in Egypt). He noticed that each time he lifted his rod the Israelites would be winning and if he lowered it the Amalaekites would be winning. He, with the help of Aaron and Hur, made sure the rod was held high until the Israelites emerged victorious.

How amazing is this story. This story literally single handedly has all the answers to life's problems. Once in a while, the scary thought that my life is falling apart and that I am not walking in God's will haunts me. Thankfully, for times like this, the Holy Spirit pointed me to this chapter.

It is not about me. It has never been about me. I will not win at life just because I have memorized everything God wants me to do and I have set out determinedly to do them no matter what comes my way. It is about God. I would usually ask God how He wants to use me and while there’s nothing wrong with me asking this, I cannot fulfill His purpose in my life without Him and I shouldn't want to. It is not a tale of a master who sends his apprentice away with a substantial amount to set up shop on his own when the agreed period of servitude elapses. God is that Master that trains me AND wants to do life with me!

God wants us to get to the place where David was when he preferred five smooth stones over Saul’s finest armour. David knew that he could not defeat Goliath on his own but that just like Moses’ rod, one smooth stone is all the God of Angel Armies needs to bring every foe to his knees. The edge we have over the world is that God is with us and that He goes before us as our Jehovah Nissi making a way where there seems to be none and making us more than conquerors.

So when I cry to God asking Him to use me, the Holy Spirit asks me this question "why don't you use me, Adim?".  God could have designed it in such a way that the Israelites would win the war whether Moses used his rod or not. But he wanted them to know that He is the reason they won; that He is the Weapon of choice. It is an account that brings to mind the sovereignty of God but it is also one that definitely teaches us that all we need in life is God.