IT WORKED GREAT LAST TIME
So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek…. Then they [Aaron and Hur] 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 17:10a,12b–13 (NLT)
I love this story. Joshua fought the Amalekites with real soldiers in a real battle. At the same time, Moses stood on the mountain, lifting the staff of God with the help of his friends Aaron and Hur. Together, through prayer and action, God gave His people the victory. If I had been there, I think I would have taken careful notes. I’d want to write down exactly what worked so I could repeat it later. After all, Moses and Joshua would face plenty more battles, forty years’ worth of wandering plus thirty-one kings to defeat in the Promised Land. Surely this was the formula: one leader fights, another leader prays, and victory comes. But here’s the surprising part. God never used this exact method again. Ever.
That’s an important lesson for us. We love formulas. Do x, and you’ll get y. Read your Bible this much, pray these exact prayers, follow these steps, and everything will turn out right. But God refuses to be boxed in by our formulas. He’s not a vending machine. He’s not a math equation. He is the living God. And while He is always faithful, He rarely does things the same way twice.
Think about it: Jesus healed blind men in different ways. Sometimes He spoke. Sometimes, He touched their eyes. Once, He used mud made from spit. Why? To show us that the power isn’t in the method but in Him. So don’t fall into formula Christianity. God is calling us to relationship, not ritual. He wants us to trust Him daily, to seek Him afresh every morning, to depend on His Spirit in each new situation. Yesterday’s instructions may not be today’s marching orders. Yesterday’s miracle may not be the pattern for tomorrow. The constant is not the formula; it’s God Himself. And He’s faithful to lead us step by step.
APPLICATION: Don’t rely on formulas. Ask God to give you a new direction for this new day. Trust Him to do a new thing in your life.
PRAYER: Lord, I trust You, not a formula. Teach me to hear Your voice. Help me see the new thing You are doing.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?