“I’m in an Exodus 17 kind of mood tonight,” the worship leader told the assembled room of youth ministers on the last night of the program. We all looked awkwardly at one another, afraid to admit we weren’t sure what he meant. A few of us nervously reached for bibles and smartphones, and when we did, we encountered an often-overlooked story:

Following their escape from Egypt, after their internal quarrels in the wilderness, the Israelites faced a new foe: the Amalekites. A frequent adversary throughout the Old Testament, the Amalekites attacked the Israelites at their encampment in Rephidim. While Joshua conducted the battle, Moses went to watch from a nearby hilltop, and he lifted his hands to the heavens in prayer for his people. As the battle went on, Moses tired, and his arms began to fall. To the dismay of those looking on, whenever Moses’s arms fell, the tide appeared to turn against Israel. In desperation, Aaron and Hur flanked Moses and held his arms heavenward for the remainder of the battle. Moses’s prayers won the day, but he didn’t do any of this on his own.

When I get tired or frustrated now, I try to remember Exodus 17.
We all need people who can step up beside us and hold up our hands. We all need Aaron and Hur. None of us are in this alone.