Jehovah Nissi-The Lord brings Victory

The biblical reference to the title of this post is found in Ezekiel 17:15 where God has directed the Israelites to fight the Amalekites and has instructed Moses to stand on a hill overlooking the battle so his people could see him and as long as he held up his arms with the staff of the Lord then the Israelites would have victory in the battle. When his arms were down they would be losing the battle. At one point Moses got tired and put his arms down. Aaron and another leader saw this and brought him a rock to sit on and helped to hold his arms up. That's a spiritual application within itself, but Moses chose to call this place, "Jehovah Nissi", The Lord is my Banner or the Lord brings Victory. I never really understood the phrase "The Lord is my Banner" until my visit to the doctor's office last week. Interesting that He has been telling me, when I'm walking on the treadmill and getting weak and tired and want to stop or quit, to lift my arms to Him and give Him praise. At the time I could hardly breathe and walk, let alone lift my arms, but I did it at his direction. I thought He was just trying to encourage me to keep my focus on Him, and in part I believe He was. But when I read the story of God's instructions to Moses in lifting his arms in the midst of the battle that God had brought him and his people to, the lifting of my own arms took on a whole new meaning. The victory came by God's own hand when I kept my eyes on Jesus, lifted my arms when I was weak and trusted in His unseen work within my body. And greater still was the victory in this current battle when I remembered the verse 1 Samuel 16:7, "But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” I know this is probably a duh statement, but when I actually stopped and looked at the evidence and truly thought about it, God is bringing about a greater victory of health, healing and live living within me from the inside out. How amazing is that?! I was bothered that neither I nor others could physically "see" the changes happening to me...until I got the A1C results at the doctor's office and realized what a remarkable victory he is bringing about. He has brought me to this battle with weight loss, diabetes, high cholesterol and blood pressure and is changing my physical body from the inside out, not from the outside in. He's changing my mental/emotional body through that same victory and strengthening my spiritual body by my daily walk with Him and seeing Him work within me. Kinda blows my mind when I stop and truly think about how He is working within me. All He asks me to do is believe He is at work, whether I see it or not, to keep my arms lifted to Him in the midst of this battle and trust that He will bring me all the help I need to gain the victory. His banner, His victory is awesome to behold! He brings to my mind Song of Solomon 2:4 (AMP version) " He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love [for love waved as a protecting and comforting banner over my head when I was near him]." His victory banner is waving all over me, protecting, comforting me and bringing me victory and Him all the honor and glory due Him. Whew! What a RUSH!