The Lord Is My Banner

Moses was a great leader, but his arms still got tired. His brother and his friend noticed and helped. “Aaron and Hur supported his hands… and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun” (Exodus 17:12).

Everyone gets tired. Even the strongest people get tired, sad or discouraged. It is not a sin to need help. Moses needed it, and so do we.

Notice the need. Aaron and Hur saw that Moses' hands were coming down. Helping starts with paying attention to the people around us.

Do something simple. They found a stone for Moses to sit on and held up his arms. Help does not have to be fancy. Small, practical help matters.

Bear burdens. “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). A burden is a heavy load. We help carry each other's loads.

Partners. “Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).

Prayer partners. “Pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16).

Encourage each other. “Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together” (Hebrews 10:24-25). Going to church together helps us keep going.

Pray for all the saints. Paul said to pray “always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit… for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18). The saints are all of God's people.

God gives strength. “He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength” (Isaiah 40:29). Often God gives that strength through friends.

Helping at home. You do not have to wait for a big battle to hold up someone's hands. You can help a tired parent set the table, stay close to a little brother who is scared, or carry something heavy for a grandparent.

Helping at church and school. Pastors, teachers and leaders get tired too. A kind note, a thank-you, or a promise to pray for them can be like holding up their arms. Leaders are encouraged when people notice and care.

Let others help you. Moses could have been too proud to sit down. He let his friends help him. Sometimes the brave thing is to say, “I need help.”

What to do. This week, think of someone who looks tired or sad. Do one simple thing to help them, and pray for them by name.

After the battle, Moses built an altar. “And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner” (Exodus 17:15). What is a banner, and why did Moses choose that name?

What a banner is. A banner was a tall pole with a flag at the top. Soldiers looked at it to know where to go and whose side they were on.

The rod on the hill. During the battle, Moses held up “the rod of God” (Exodus 17:9). It was like a banner over the army. It showed that God was the One leading them.

Look up. “I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2).

A banner for God's people. “You have given a banner to those who fear You, That it may be displayed because of the truth” (Psalm 60:4).

Rejoice in His name. “We will rejoice in your salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!” (Psalm 20:5).

A banner of love. A love song in the Bible says, “his banner over me was love” (Song of Solomon 2:4). God's banner over His people is His love.

A promised banner. Isaiah said that one day a Root of Jesse would “stand as a banner to the people” (Isaiah 11:10). Christians believe that is Jesus.

Lifted up. Jesus said, “I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32). He was lifted up on the cross, and people from everywhere come to Him.

He never gets tired. Moses' hands grew heavy. But Jesus “always lives to make intercession” for His people (Hebrews 7:25). Intercession means praying for someone.

At God's right hand. “It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Romans 8:34).

Whose side are you on? A banner showed which side a soldier belonged to. When we trust Jesus, we belong to Him. We are on His side, and He is on ours. That is a wonderful thing to know when we feel scared or alone.

Following the banner. Soldiers followed the banner wherever it went. Following Jesus means going where He leads: being kind, telling the truth, forgiving others and trusting Him even when it is hard.

What to do. When you face something hard, picture a banner with Jesus' name on it. Look to Him, follow Him and thank Him for fighting for you.