Tag: #Day166of365

The Lord Is My Banner

Greetings, Precious Family. May the Peace of the Lord be with you always.

Family, today we start on the second week exploring the names of God in the Old Testament. I have truly been blessed by going deeper into each biblical account and seeing the nature and character of God revealed through His names

This evening our text comes from Exodus 17:15. You know I love reading the entire chapter to get full picture of what is happening in the text.

I want you to visualize the Israelites journey of Exodus through Egypt. They are crossing miles and miles of desert on their journey to the Promise Land. They have with them all their families and all of their livestock.

All of a sudden they begin to get attacked by the tribe of Amalek whose original founder was the grandson of Esau. Now, we will read Exodus 17:8-15.

Exodus 17:8-15
New International Version

The Amalekites Defeated

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 (Jehovah Nissi).

Family, notice something important about this moment. The Israelites were not attacked while standing still in Egypt. They were attacked while moving forward toward the promise God had given them.

Sometimes opposition comes not because we are outside of God’s will, but because we are walking in the direction He has called us to go.

What another amazing example of God being “I AM WHO I AM.”

Family, how many times have felt the Lord direct you in a specific way, whether it was to guide you away from dangers or toward a blessing?

I can remember plenty of times where I have said:

“Something doesn’t feel right in my spirit.”

Has that ever happened to you? How many times have you kicked yourself for not listening to the still small voice inside?

Because Moses knew the voice of the Lord; he, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill and were obedient to the Lord’s instructions.

Family, Moses did not build an altar to celebrate Israel’s strength. He built an altar to declare that the victory belonged to the Lord.

Jehovah Nissi means The Lord is my banner. Our victory is not found in our own strength, but in the God who fights for us.

What a blessing to know that the Lord is STILL our Banner!!!! Amen.

Let Us Pray

Holy Abba,

Tonight we come before You with grateful hearts, remembering that You are Jehovah Nissi, The Lord Our banner.

Father, just as You led the Israelites through the wilderness, You continue to lead Your children today. You know every road we walk, every battle we face, and every place where we feel weak. Yet You have never left us without Your presence.

Lord, remind us that our victories do not come from our own strength, our own wisdom, or our own ability. Like Moses standing on the mountain, we must lift our eyes to You and remember that our help comes from You.

When the battles of life come unexpectedly, teach us not to fear. When we feel tired from the journey, remind us that You are still our refuge. When we cannot see how the battle will end, help us trust the God who already sees the beginning, the middle, and the victory.

Father, forgive us for the times we have ignored Your gentle prompting. Forgive us when we have relied on our own understanding instead of following Your voice. Give us hearts that are sensitive to Your Spirit and willing to obey.

Lord, You are our banner. We belong to You. Our identity is not found in our circumstances, our struggles, or our battles, but in the God who stands above them all.

May our lives become an altar of remembrance, just like Moses built on that mountain; a testimony that You are faithful, You are powerful, and You are always with Your people.

Thank You for being our I AM. Thank You for being Jehovah Nissi.

In the mighty and precious name of Christ Jesus we pray. Amen, Amen and Amen.

Worship Video of the Day

Rev. Marcia Davis, BA, MA