I saw a quote recently that said, “Find a best friend that you can suffer with.” When I first read the quote, it really caught me off guard. When we are thinking about friendships, our minds are usually drawn to the fun stuff. The shared hobbies and interests. The nights of laughter and inside jokes. The dinners out and trips planned. And while it is great to have people in our lives that we can share those things with, it’s the people who sit in the trenches with us that matter the most. It’s the people you can call when you just got the worst news ever. Or the ones who you know are praying when you send that desperate prayer request. The ones who hold you up when you don’t think you can take another step.
In Exodus, the Israelites are facing a battle with the Amalekites. Moses was the main leader, but he told Joshua to go and select some men to fight the army. While the battle was going on, Moses was going to be at the top of the hill holding his staff in his hand.
“So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. 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. As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.” Exodus 17:10-13
Joshua was down in the trenches fighting, but the result of the battle was determined by Moses on the top of the hill. When the staff was held up, the Israelites were winning. However, when he dropped in weakness, the Amalekites would gain the advantage. Moses was in a place of desperation. He did not have the physical strength to continue on his own. But Moses had two friends who were willing to fight the battle with him. Aaron and Hur found ways to provide just the support and strength that Moses needed to remain steadfast and persevere. Aaron and Hur were willing to hold up their friend to ensure that he could keep going.
Who has God placed in your life that you know you could call when you needed someone to hold you up? Who has been with you through the muck of your life and given you the strength to keep going? Who has physically held you up when you didn’t think you could stand? Those are the people to be thankful for. When you think back on your life and the battles you have faced, maybe today you need to reach out to those people and thank them for standing in the gap for you. Tell them how much you appreciate them and how they have supported you in ways that you cannot even begin to explain.
And then think about who God has placed in your life that you need to help strengthen. Who is fighting a battle that you could come alongside and help support? Who do you see that is struggling to just continue with life? Step in and hold them up during this time.
The more I think about it, the more that quote I saw recently is true. We all need people in our lives who we can suffer with. It doesn’t sound fun or elaborate, but these are the relationships that have depth and keep us going when we can’t do it on our own. God has called us to walk with others through their journey. Who can you strengthen today?
This devotion is written by Amy Carrico.
Last Updated on March 16, 2026
Leave a Reply