You’ve Got A Friend In Me
Exodus 17
“You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” an Academy Award nominated song by Randy Newman, serves as the theme song for the Toy Story movie franchise. I believe the theme of the Toy Story movies is the importance and power of friendships. The boy Andy and his pull-string cowboy doll Sheriff Woody would be one of those key friendships. And of course there’s Woody’s friendships with Buzz Lightyear and Jessie, the cowgirl rag doll.
The song serves to reinforce the message of just how important friendship is. Here are part of the lyrics: “You got troubles, and I got ‘em too. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you. We stick together and we see it through. ‘Cause you’ve got a friend in me.”
Those lines remind me of verses in Proverbs. Here are a few of them. Proverbs 17:17: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Proverbs 27:9: “Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.” And Proverbs 27:17: “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”
In this chapter, we see the importance of other people in our lives. But first, we see once again the people grumble. Despite that, God is merciful and gracious and provides for the people. God miraculously produces water from a rock for the thirsty grumblers. Friendship with God is a great thing, because God is “A friend (who) loves at all times.”
A relationship with God is first and foremost, but godly relationships with others who desire godliness is also important. We see just how important that was for Moses in this chapter. Moses and the people went out to fight Amalek. Whenever Moses held up his hands Israel would be winning the battle but whenever he got tired and lowered his hands, the people would be losing the battle.
And it says in vs.12-13, “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. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.”
Joshua was Moses’ trusted second-in-command. Aaron and Hur supported Moses, literally, by making sure his hands stayed up. What a great visual reminder of how we need strong Christ-centered relationships in our lives. We all grow weary just like Moses. For Moses it was physical weariness. But for us, it may be emotional, relational, or spiritual weariness. Do you have friends who will “hold up your hands” when you’re weary? Are you that kind of friend for others?
Let me close with one more verse: “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). God’s laws can be summed up this way: love God and love others. Carrying each other’s burdens is a great way to demonstrate not only our love for God, but for each other as well. Who needs some burdens carried in your life?
Exodus 17
“You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” an Academy Award nominated song by Randy Newman, serves as the theme song for the Toy Story movie franchise. I believe the theme of the Toy Story movies is the importance and power of friendships. The boy Andy and his pull-string cowboy doll Sheriff Woody would be one of those key friendships. And of course there’s Woody’s friendships with Buzz Lightyear and Jessie, the cowgirl rag doll.
The song serves to reinforce the message of just how important friendship is. Here are part of the lyrics: “You got troubles, and I got ‘em too. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you. We stick together and we see it through. ‘Cause you’ve got a friend in me.”
Those lines remind me of verses in Proverbs. Here are a few of them. Proverbs 17:17: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Proverbs 27:9: “Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.” And Proverbs 27:17: “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”
In this chapter, we see the importance of other people in our lives. But first, we see once again the people grumble. Despite that, God is merciful and gracious and provides for the people. God miraculously produces water from a rock for the thirsty grumblers. Friendship with God is a great thing, because God is “A friend (who) loves at all times.”
A relationship with God is first and foremost, but godly relationships with others who desire godliness is also important. We see just how important that was for Moses in this chapter. Moses and the people went out to fight Amalek. Whenever Moses held up his hands Israel would be winning the battle but whenever he got tired and lowered his hands, the people would be losing the battle.
And it says in vs.12-13, “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. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.”
Joshua was Moses’ trusted second-in-command. Aaron and Hur supported Moses, literally, by making sure his hands stayed up. What a great visual reminder of how we need strong Christ-centered relationships in our lives. We all grow weary just like Moses. For Moses it was physical weariness. But for us, it may be emotional, relational, or spiritual weariness. Do you have friends who will “hold up your hands” when you’re weary? Are you that kind of friend for others?
Let me close with one more verse: “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). God’s laws can be summed up this way: love God and love others. Carrying each other’s burdens is a great way to demonstrate not only our love for God, but for each other as well. Who needs some burdens carried in your life?
Posted in Journey of Hope