Hang around me long enough and you'll learn this: I'm madly in love with my husband. I'm so in love that I still have a crush on him. I could wax poetic about this man, exclaiming his virtues as father and provider and good smoocher, but my favorite thing about him is his heart for the Lord.
My husband is a pastor and several years ago he himself planted our church. He is a trusting and courageous man who listened to that still, small voice when God told him to move. To say I'm proud would be an understatement. He was resolute in his desire to do what God asked of him. And like any person beginning an arduous task, he asked for prayer and guidance from his friends; most of these fellows being pastors themselves. They rallied around Dusty and encouraged him, prayed for him, and counseled him. Ahhh...having godly friends is golden, isn't it?
I remember vividly one of those encouragements because I thought it was so beautiful. Nic, who is a pastor at Newspring, texted Dusty in the early days of our church and told him, "I want to be like Aaron, holding your hands up as you accomplish the work God has called you to do."
This, friends, leads us to a precious and mighty Old Testament moment. It's found in Exodus 17 and recounts a battle of the Israelites and their longtime foe, the Amalekites. As brave Joshua goes into battle, Moses stands atop a nearby hill holding his staff into the air above the fighting as an encouragement to the soldiers and in supplication to God for an Israelite victory. His staff over the Israelite army served as a banner of sorts, a coat of arms for Yahweh; telling all that this is the cause we fight for: God and His promises to His people.
As you can imagine, holding a large wooden staff above your head for hours on end wouldn't be easy. (I have problems carrying more than three bags of groceries into the house from my car.) When Moses's arms would falter, so would the Israelite army. When his arms remained high, the army would rally and advance with strength. Obviously, Moses and his banner were of utmost importance. To help him, Aaron and Hur held Moses's arms up for him for the duration of the battle.
Needless to say, with God's help, the Israelites won. Moses told them to build an altar at the site of the battle and call it "Yahweh-Nissi" or "The Lord is my Banner."
What an incredible thought: accomplishing a task God has set before you or surviving a great trial or celebrating a victory under a banner which waves declaring: I fight in the name of the Lord!
Banners are a tradition dating back to the most ancient of times. For thousands of years armies have ridden under the banner of some king, some cause, or some country be it Attila the Hun, Alexander the Great, the Ottoman Empire, the French Revolution, or the Allies of World War II. A banner is a fine thing - boldly declaring allegiance, stating a cause, ascribing loyalty.
We can be brave and fight for something too, right? What banner shall we fight under, friends? What enemy or injustice is at our door daring us to take up arms? I serve a God who can win any battle in which I find myself. A God with many names. A General. A Mighty King. An arsenal of weapons and battle plans in His possession. Psalm 60:4 says this:
You are a banner to those who fear you,
so they can raise up for the truth.
I want to raise up for truth! Can you picture it? What a glorious idea!
So what Name of the Lord shall we ride under? What coat of arms is painted on our banner?
Jehovah-Jireh? The Lord Will Provide. (Because we're struggling financially and we're scared.)
Jehovah-Rapha? The Lord Who Heals. (Because we're facing a scary diagnosis or nursing a broken heart.)
Jehovah-Shammah? The Lord is There. (Because we just need His sweet presence.)
El-Elyon? God Most High. (Because we've been running and we need to submit to His authority.)
Quanna? He is Jealous. (Because we put other things before Him.)
Or do we just need to hear Song of Solomon 2:4 and remember that "His banner over me is love?" Because, friend, His love ripples in the wind over you at this very moment.
Did you notice Joshua's arms did not grow heavy under the physical fight? But under that spiritual warfare? Boy, did Moses grow faint.
Friends, we need to call on Him. We need to ride under His banner. Because with it raised high we succeed, we win. But when it falls and we're left to fight the enemy on our own, I promise, we will fail every time.
I would rather spend my life shouting the name of God than whispering my own.
Fighting under my name alone is futile. It may look like I'm winning in the short term, but the war will ultimately be lost. I want to raise my banner during battle and declare whose side I'm on.
Dear El Shaddai (The God Who is Sufficient for the Needs of His People),
Just as your banner defeated the Amalekites, I need your banner to defeat my enemies, too. You are many things to those who call on your name, but above all you are Yeshua - because you "will save your people from our sins." Yes, I will ride under the name of Yeshua, of Jesus. The sweetest name I know.
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