BH Bulletin - Wednesday 3 March 2021

Thought for the Day by Alex Forrest
​(Voluntary Staff Worker)

EXODUS 17:8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”
10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. 

Be honest, how exhausted are you? How much has the last year taken its toll on you? How much has the last year damaged your faith. Are you exhausted trying to live for God? Do you feel like you’re losing the battle? And if you’re honest, do you feel like packing it all in? 

The Bible is always very clear, right from the very first books, Christians are in a battle, we’re at war. As soon as God’s chosen people are formed, they are enslaved, suffering, and attacked. Here in Exodus, God’s people are attacked by a tribe called the Amelekites, a terrifying warrior tribe.

They’ve just spent months grumbling in the desert, they’re stressed, tired, scared. But God has always provided for them. When they needed freedom from Egypt, when they needed to cross the red sea, when they needed new land. When they needed food and water, God provided every time. But even still, they doubt and worry that the Amelekites will defeat them.

At this point, when their under threat from a scary enemy, Moses employs the unusual battle tactic of going up a hill and lifting a stick to the sky! But that stick has great power. God has worked incredible things through it in the past; the Nile turning to blood, the Red Sea parting, drawing water out of a rock. Moses trusts God here to show his power through the staff.

But just like all of us, he gets tired. His arms drop. He grows weak. When his staff is raised, God’s people win, when it drops, they lose. But God hasn’t abandoned his people when the staff drops. God has never got tired or weary. God will always protect his people. The ultimate example of this comes when another man walked up a hill and lifted up a piece of wood. As Jesus lifted up his cross, God won the final battle against sin. As numerous great worship songs say “yours is the victory”.

And it’s a victory we share in. We can say as Moses says in v.15 “The Lord is our Banner”. We fight united under the Lord’s banner and share in his victory. We win through him in that victory, as a family, growing together and supporting each other just as Aaron and Hur supported Moses arms when he grew tired. We win through him, just as the Israelites won the battle through God’s power against the Amelekites. We win through him as Christ won the victory over all God’s enemies.
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So when life gets hard, remember we are here to support each other, and take joy in the victory Christ has won. When you’re tired and exhausted living as a Christian, the Lord is your banner and victory is won. When you’re too broken to carry on, remember Jesus died to protect you and allow God’s strengthening and upholding power to be at work in your life. Take courage. Keep Fighting.
Alex

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Katie Bennett's News Update

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Dear friends,There’s been quite a quiet spell this end as I work with New Zealand Church Missionary Society (NZCMS) on what this year will look like. It’s good to be able to share with you now about what has been decided. Thanks for all your prayers!

After a lot of prayer, thought and discussion, NZCMS and I think it is best for me to remain in New Zealand for this year. It has been a tough season in Spain and we see that what I need is some quality down-time in NZ to recover and refresh before looking at the next season. We agreed that as of April I’ll be on an extended Leave of Absence until November 2021, when we will seek to jointly discern God’s leading around a possible return to Spain.

I’ve chosen to begin a wee part-time job at a shop in Christchurch (called Farmers) to have some finances coming in and some routine. The job is 3 days a week so there is time still time to rest and as energy permits, be involved in other things that I enjoy and where I can use my giftings.

Thanks, friends, for all your continued prayers. I feel a bit anxious but also curiously expectant about what this year and beyond holds for me. It has been incredible to see God’s hand at work and he keeps bringing me back to that simple yet profound truth of trusting in Him. 

Please keep praying with me for my Church in Gijón, Spain and also for the ministry of the Shop. My church still only meets online but thankfully the Shop has been able to remain open and continues to be a beacon of Jesus’ light in the community.
During this year I'll still send out updates on the ministry in Gijón, Spain and also how things are going here.
In Christ,
Katie

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