Scars and Sovereignty

Tag: leaning on God

  • The Hands That Hold Us

    The Hands That Hold Us

    Day 34

    Exodus 17–18 | Mark 16

    “But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.” (Exodus 17:12)

    Israel’s victory in battle wasn’t about their strength. It wasn’t even about Moses’ strength. It was about dependence—on God and on the people He provided to stand beside him.

    Moses stood on the hill, staff raised, as Israel fought below. As long as his hands were lifted, they prevailed. But when exhaustion set in and his arms dropped, the enemy gained ground. So Aaron and Hur stepped in. They didn’t take over the battle. They didn’t carry the staff for him. They simply held him up when he no longer could.

    That picture of dependence hits me hard. I’ve always prided myself on being capable, strong, independent. But then came November 2. The moment the saw met my hand, my independence was gone. I couldn’t drive. Couldn’t button my own shirt. Couldn’t even cut my own dinner at Men’s Bible study on Wednesday nights—my best friend J had to do it for me. Talacey had to wash my left armpit because my right hand had to be wrapped in a garbage bag each time I showered. My cousin Carson had to take over hosting Christmas Eve because I couldn’t cook or carve the prime rib like I do every year.

    And then there was Bob, originally my boss and now a good friend, who was chomping at the bit to board a plane the moment he heard what happened. Who called or texted every single day, making sure I knew I wasn’t forgotten. He had no obligation to do that, but he did. Because that’s what God does—He sends people to hold us up when we can’t stand on our own.

    That’s what J did. What Talacey did. What Carson, M, Andrei, Bob, and so many others did. When my hands were too weak to carry what God had given me, they stood beside me and held them up.

    Moses couldn’t sustain the battle alone. Neither can we.

    Mark 16 reminds us of the ultimate victory—the resurrection of Jesus. The moment when sin and death were defeated, not by human strength, but by divine power. The gospel itself is a story of dependence: we couldn’t save ourselves, so Christ did what we never could. And now, He calls us to do for one another what Aaron and Hur did for Moses—to stand beside the weary, to lift the burdened, to remind the broken that they are not alone.

    If you’re exhausted today—if you’re trying to hold it all together but your arms are shaking—hear this: You don’t have to do it alone. God sees you. He strengthens you. And He has placed people in your life to hold you up when you can’t stand on your own.

    Lord, thank You for the people You have placed in my life to lift me when I can’t lift myself. Teach me to rely on You, to rest in Your strength, and to be that kind of support for others. Amen.

  • Daily Bread, Eternal Provision

    Daily Bread, Eternal Provision

    Day 33

    Exodus 15–16 | Mark 15:16–47 | Psalm 15

    “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.’” (Exodus 16:4)

    In Exodus 16, the people of Israel are only one month removed from walking through the Red Sea on dry ground, and yet, they’re already grumbling. Hunger sets in, and nostalgia clouds their memory. They long for Egypt—the place of their slavery—because at least there, they had food. So God provides. Manna, bread from heaven, falls each morning, but there’s a condition: gather only what you need for the day. No hoarding. No storing up. Just trusting that tomorrow, He’ll do it again.

    And isn’t that where faith so often falters? Not in believing God can provide, but in trusting that He will—again and again, day after day.

    I see myself in Israel’s grumbling. Not for bread, but for control. I want to know what’s ahead. I want to store up security, gather extra just in case God doesn’t come through tomorrow. But He doesn’t work that way. He gives daily bread. Strength for today. Mercy for this moment. And He calls me to trust Him for the next.

    Then I come to Mark 15, where the One who called Himself the Bread of Life is broken. The Israelites were sustained by bread from heaven, but now, heaven’s true provision hangs on a cross, forsaken and starving. Jesus—the Son of God, the One who could turn stones into bread if He wished—receives nothing. No relief. No rescue.

    The people at the foot of the cross mocked Him: “He saved others; he cannot save himself.” (Mark 15:31) And they were right, though not in the way they thought. He didn’t save Himself because He was saving us. The Bread of Life was emptied so that we could be filled.

    Israel worried about tomorrow’s provision, but Jesus ensured our eternal one.

    Where am I still trying to gather more than what God has given for today? Where am I looking for security instead of trusting in His daily grace?

    God still provides daily bread. Some days it comes as encouragement, some days as endurance, some days as the strength to take just one more step. But always, He gives exactly what we need. And always, He is enough.

    Lord, help me trust Your daily provision. Teach me to rest in what You give and not fear what I lack. Let my heart not grumble, but believe. Amen.