Press On!
By: Pastor Cynthia Robinson
There are a lot of things going on in the world to think of that would actually have you sad and depressed. Wars and rumors of wars. People hungry. People being kidnapped and killed without provocation; women and children being abused. Floods, famine, fires and these are just the headlines.
As a matter of fact, there are a lot of things going on in your private life that could have you sad and depressed. Lost love ones, lost health, loss of income, lost friends, lost…loss…lost. As the saying goes “Baby needs a new pair shoes, even got a light bill and due. Telephone disconnect…waiting on that next paycheck. And sometimes that paycheck isn’t even coming or just isn’t enough to make your ends line up, not to even mention meet.
Doom and gloom seem to follow you everywhere and calling out your name. It seems you can’t catch a break nowhere. No peace at home, no peace on the job and even no peace in the church. That’s right, I said it! Hell breaking loose in the House of GOD. Why bother?
And let’s go a little deeper. Thoughts of suicide. Thoughts of running away from your life and just starting over somewhere else. Why do I feel this way and I am a Christian? My life should be better than this. I should be way farther in life than this. Where did I go wrong? Where is GOD in my life? I hate all this suffering. Maybe death is much better than this life. Where is GOD?
Negative thinking or as I call it “stinking thinking” is a part of life. We’ve all had these thoughts…saved or unsaved. It is not shameful to say that many of us have struggled from time to time. The shame comes from being delusional and can’t even admit to yourself that you need help or even there “IS” help.
And where does that help come from? Let’s look at the Word of GOD. Exodus 17 beginning at verse 8. I wish I had time to teach the entire chapter because it’s some good stuff in the first part of the scriptures, but I want to narrow the message down and hone in on a nugget for you to chew on for this season.
Verse 8: “Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.”
Notice that the scripture said they went UP!! Now that will preach right there!! You want help from GOD, you got to go up. It didn’t say they went down in the valley. It didn’t say they went over in the meadow. It didn’t say they went into to a neighbor’s house. It didn’t say they went to the Walmart (where you see everybody)!
The scripture said they went UP!! UP!! UP!! You want help from GOD, you got to go up in in your prayer time. You got to go UP in your fasting time!! You got to go UP in your relationship time with GOD. Because when you fall down, you can look up. And when you look up, you can get up!! This is good but it’s not where GOD wants me to go for this message.
Let’s Continue Verse 11
11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
Look at this again….when Moses held his hands UP (there goes that UP again), Israel prevailed. But when he let his arms Down (somebody shout don’t do it Moses)
When he let his arms down, Amalek prevailed. But watch this!! This is where I want you to stick a pin!!!
Verse 12. 12 But Moses hands were HEAVY, and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua discomfited (or defeated) Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
But Moses hands were heavy. In other words, Moses was tired!!!! He had some problems. Yet, He had to hold his hands UP so the Israelites can win the battle. Have you ever gotten tired on this Christian journey? Have you ever wanted to just quit what GOD told you to do and just live life…You are still going to live a saved life, but not with all the pressure of working for the Lord.
Sure, you love GOD and you know He loves you but LIFE be LIFING!! BILLS, BILLS and more bills! Look like you just paid your car bill or your light bill or your phone bill and go to the mailbox and another one is staring you in the face! Or you get your car fixed and your refrigerator breaks down or your air conditioner goes out.
Trials and tribulations…..Situations and circumstances hit and they hit HARD!!
Let’s Look at verse 8. 8 Then came Amalek. And he came to fight!!!!
Who is this Amalek person? According to the scriptures, Amalek was the grandson of Esau. Y’all remember the story of Esau and his twin brother Jacob. How Jacob tricked Esau out of his birthright for a bowl of soup. The brothers became enemies. Jacob had to flee from his land and lived with his uncle Laban who was also a trickster (runs in the family). Laban tricked Jacob into marrying his lazy eyed or cockeyed daughter, Leah, when he wanted the beautiful daughter, Rachel. Laban tricked Jacob into working for him 14 years. Then when time was up, Jacob left with his family to return home knowing that his brother Esau was going to kill him.
So, on the way there, Jacob was so distressed that he prayed and cried, cried and prayed (has anybody ever been there? He cried and prayed so much that an angel appeared, and he wrestled with the angel all night long saying “I won’t turn loose until you bless me.”
Short version of the story. GOD did bless Jacob and changed his name to Israel. From “trickster” to “let GOD prevail. In other words, let GOD fight your battle!!
While on the other hand, Esau, stripped of his birthright, Forfeited His foundation….Relinquished his entitlement to his lineage and was doomed to wander the desert. Esau became the father of nomads that liked to sneak up on people and rob them; plunder their belongings. This is Esau’s family y’all. The one with the promise but gave it up to make it easier for himself.
How many of you know it’s not easier!! How many of us have that Esau spirit? We want everything to be easy…That’s nice, but that’s not GOD.
Out from Esau’s crazy, unstable, bloody, thieving way of life came Amalek. Amalek took this way of life to the next level. Amalek is Esau on steroids. Amalek would spy out when leaders or the soldiers of a village were out in a war against other enemies and go in and strip the village.
In other words, Amalek would know who is fighting who and when they go out the front door to fight, he would sneak in the back door and plunder.
David ran into the Amalekites at Ziglag. Y’all remember the story when David and his soldiers was out fighting, a group of Amalekites came in and stole everything from his camp. They took all the women, including David’s two wives and all the children. And all the gold, the silver, the cattle and the crops. Everything David and his soldiers had was stolen.
Can you imagine coming home from a victory in battle and seeing your place burned to the ground and your family gone. And your men in anguish because all their stuff in gone as well. They cry. They moan. They get mad and then they blame you. The same people you loved on blame you. The same people that you fought battles along side, labored with, broke bread with, invited to your church socials and even your home. The same people that even sat with your family and told you how much they admire you.…now they are so distraught, they want to kill you!!
Now those same people are blaming you! Accusing you!! Scandalizing your name!! Coming to stone you, King David…Stone you….Pastor….Evangelist…Prophet…Sis….Bruh Bruh
Somebody say LAWD Ham Mercy!!
David was in a mess. And it was caused by the Amalekites….the sons of Amalek.
Let’s take verse 8 to the natural. Verse 8 says Then came Amalek to fight.
In the natural, what is your Amalek?
Verse 8 could have said, Then came Cancer to fight….Then came Kidney Failure to fight…Then came Renal failure to fight…Then Heart Disease to fight. You see Life be LIFING!!!
Then came Diabetes to fight. Then came AIDS to fight. Then came COVID to fight. Family members with Mental illness, dementia, Alzheimer’s…All to fight against you!! Life be LIFING!!!
Not only sicknesses…Then came my husband’s or my wife’s death. Then came my Mother’s or Father’s death, my child, or any death of a loved one. Life be LIFING!!!
Then came the people to repossess my vehicle. Then came the people to repossess or kick me out of my home. Then came my job loss. Life be LIFING!!! Then came my child on drugs. Then came my wanting to feed my family but have no money to buy groceries. Then came people talking about you and falsely accusing you. Calling you everything but a child of GOD when all you did was extend a hand to help them. Life be LIFING!!!
Hit after Hit after Hit. Verse eight of your life could read, Then came people stabbing you not only in your back but also in your face and you did nothing to deserve this ill treatment. You feel beat down. Despondent…As Moses was You’re HEAVY! You’re Tired Life be LIFING!!!
You’re tore up from the floor up…Misused…Abused. And as Vickie Winans said, “Talked about sure as you’re born. Up. Down Almost to the Ground…”
What is your Amalek? What has come to fight YOU?
See we all go through some things. We try to put on a brave face and soldier on. We know the scriptures….All things work together for the good. GOD will never leave you nor forsake you. We know the words!!!
But Life be Lifing! Sometimes those things get HEAVY!! The weight seems unbearable! You just want to tuck and run! You just to hide from the situation.
BUT …. Somebody say BUTTTTTTTT! SAY it Like you mean it. BUTTTTTTT Just as sure as Life be LIFING!!!
GOD be GODing!
Those same scriptures All things work together for the good. GOD will never leave you nor forsake you. NOW take on their own life. They come alive in you with the power of GOD behind them and strengthens you!! GOD’s WORD Gives you hope!!
You can’t lean on flesh, you have to lean on the POWER of GOD!! Just as GOD sent Aaron and Hur to sit Moses on a stone (something about that stone too—The Stone that the builder’s rejected became the Chief Corner Stone—But we ain’t gonna go there!!
GOD sent Aaron and Hur who sat Moses on a stone and lifted up his heavy arms. Just as GOD sent Aaron and Hur to Moses, GOD will send someone to help you with your heavy burdens.
No matter what it is ……… There is always a BUT GOD. That’s where we need to lean into—The But GOD!! No matter How Life be lifing…GOD is still GODing!! We just have to shift our focus on the Problem Solver and give the problem over to him in prayer. Release your hold so the ONE who holds us, can fight the battle for us!
Saints, Sis, Bruhs! Don’t you quit!! Don’t you give up!! Don’t you throw in the towel. Don’t you wave the white flag! Don’t you raise your hands in defeat!! If you going to raise your hands, raise them in Praise!! Raise them in worship. Raise them with a Hallelujah. Raise them with a Thank you Jesus!! GOD will send somebody!! You will find help in times of trouble!! Life is Lifing…but just as surely GOD be GODing!
He is that present help!! He is that Lilly in the Valley. He is that Bright and Morning Star.
Somebody say GOD be Goding!
He is that Battle Axe in the time of a Battle. He is that Shelter in the time of a storm.
Somebody say GOD be Goding!
He is your victory! Your Hope in hopeless situations. Your Peace in the Midst of a storm!! Say GOD be GODing!
He is your doctor in a sick room; Lawyer in a courtroom. He’s Bread when you’re hungry. Say GOD be GODing!
He’s Water when you’re thirsty; Love when you’re loveless; Comfort in distress.
If you’re at the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on! GOD be GODing!
Think you’re going down for the last time? Swim to the surface once more and Say GOD be GODing!
Is your back up against the wall? Keep fighting. GOD be Goding!
Are you knocked down and the referee counting you out? Look Up!! GOD be GODing!
And just as sure as you were born, GOD will rescue you. When life keeps on lifing…You let GOD keep on GODing. Keep those hands lifted in praise and worship to GOD and PRESS on!
By: Pastor Cynthia Robinson
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