When the Days Are Long - Martin Wiles

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. Exodus 17:12 NLT

The day seemed long … much longer than twenty-four hours.

I awoke at six a.m., knowing I had several things to do before my wife and I left. I needed to work on my website and send off a couple of devotions to a local newspaper and to another website for which I’d been writing for a number of years.

By the time my wife was ready, I too was ready for our thirty-five-minute drive to the small church which had asked me to preach for the next two Sundays. Once the morning service concluded, we drove another twenty miles to my wife’s family reunion. 

After a quick lunch, and a few minutes of her visiting with relatives, we drove forty-five minutes back home where I took a thirty-minute nap, showered, and hit the road again for the evening services—another thirty-five-minute drive away.

After services, we headed for home, but not before stopping by a local restaurant to eat with friends—who then came to our house for a short visit.

By nine p.m., my eyelids lowered, and the bed called. One long day behind me. A day in which I felt I needed someone to hold me up. Moses felt the same. Israel’s enemies, the Amalekites, attacked. Moses mounted a mountain where he held up his staff. As long as the staff was raised, the Israelites conquered, but if lowered, they lost. Fortunately, Aaron and Hur came to Moses’ aid and helped him hold up his arms.

Our world is a busy place, perhaps busier than it’s ever been. Technology allows us to do more in less time but seems to have stolen the extra time it promised us. We visit by Facebook, Instagram, email, LinkedIn, and text—but rarely in person. Not that anything is inherently wrong with those methods, but they shouldn’t substitute for hands-on contact with others. We need each other … and more than just through the internet.

Sending an email to let someone in need know I’m praying for them is nice, but going to them with a helping hand, when I can, is better. God understands our life circumstances and will work within our limitations to give us opportunities to demonstrate His love to others. Making choices that give us free time to help others is our responsibility.

Make time in your long days to lend a helping hand to others.

Prayer: Father, help us make wise choices so we’ll have time left over to lend others a helping hand.

Tweetable: How do you handle the long days?

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