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There are all kinds of twists and turns, ups and downs, on this roller coaster we call life. Whenever life gets tough, who do you have around you to hold your arms up?

The Israelites were surprise attacked by the Amalekites after fleeing from Egypt. While Moses held up his arms during a battle, they would win. But what happened when his arms got too tired to hold up? His close friends found him a place to sit and held up his arms for him.

No matter what life throws at us, we must have tried and true friends that we know will be there. Who will be there at the hospital if you got super sick, who will be there for a random phone call with you having an emotional breakdown on the other end, or hugging you while you lay to rest a close family member? 

Surrounding ourselves with other people is important for our sanity and emotional health. Having a close inner circle, as Jesus did. He is our example of what that might look like in our lives. 

Jesus had several followers, twelve disciples, but only 3 in His inner circle who saw what others never did. It doesn’t mean we need 3 exactly but you get the idea- we need 1 or more people in our lives that we are raw with. They get to know about your true feelings instead of just the “I’m doing great thanks” on repeat. 

It’s hard to trust people to be raw with, especially if you’ve been hurt before. With no risk, there’s no reward. No one is perfect and people will let us down but we will find those who will be loyal through thick and thin for us.

“As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.” Exodus 17:11-13

So I’m going to ask again, who is holding up your arms when they get too weak?

Stay hopeful!