Life Support (God In Community)

Exodus 17:12  —

‘When Moses' arms grew tired, Aaron and Hur brought a stone for him to sit on, while they stood beside him and held up his arms, holding them steady until the sun went down.’

Have you ever watched a tv nature documentary about the Emperor Penguin? When facing horrifically cold winds up to -50C, they huddle close together. Those on the outside are constantly shifting into the centre to warm up, while those on the inside move out to cool down. To me this is one great picture of a community. Shifting but supporting. 

A single penguin cannot survive -50C wind without support. In this passage Moses would not have been able to hold his arms up for the entire battle on his own. We were not created to live and survive life alone. The key factor in the survival of the Emperor penguins is each individual bird taking action to gain heat from the centre of the huddle. Gaining support from the community requires action and courage. Choosing to step forward and be seen can be challenging and even daunting but breaking through that fear is worthwhile. God built us to stand together, not alone. 

Moses first needed to walk alongside Aaron and Hur over time, so that when the battle raged they had already established a depth of friendship. They had to actively decide to invest in each other so they could see Moses' need and step in to support him without having to be asked. 

Who is your community? 

Prayer - Father, help me to seek out people I can build a depth of friendship with. Help me to invest wisely in solid friendships.