'03 Milford Track

The Milford Track is a widely known tramping (hiking) route in New Zealand – located amidst mountains and temperate rain forest in Fiordland National Park in the southwest of the South Island.

My son had an opportunity while he was a Senior in high school to go on a trekking trip to the famous Milford Track.  He picked up a stick, removed the dead bark, and smoothened it to use it for support as he climbed the mountain. He brought the staff back to Singapore as a memento of that trip and it has made its way to the USA.

A staff can be defined as:

A long stick carried in the hand for support in walking

A rod carried as a symbol of office or authority

Staff is something that sustains or supports: bread is the staff of life. 

A  pole on which a flag is hung (Jehovah Nissi, the Lord is my banner)

A personnel who assist a Director in carrying out a task (Holy Spirit)

The system of horizontal lines grouped into sets of five upon which music is written. 

Moses also had a staff that he picked up while he was tending sheep in Midian.  God told Moses, who was leading the Israelites on their journey to complete freedom and abundance in Canaan, to raise his staff over the Red Sea that was in their way (Exodus 14:15,16).  In the book of Exodus you can see the different ways God used the staff that was in Moses’s hand.

God is asking me to raise my staff over a specific prayer for this month.  To raise the staff and stretch out my hand over the “red sea” that is in the way of receiving answer to the prayer.  A new song of praise is to be written on these lines or staffs (staves) and they are to be raised over the obstacles;  first, on the support staff of walking with God  second, on the staff of authority as a child of God,  third, on the staff of life which is the WORD of God,  fourth, on the staff of God’s presence and power – Jehovah Nissi, and finally, with my personal staff, the Holy Spirit who assists and directs me in all things.  I am raising the staff of praise, “a new song” that will open the way for the one to cross through the red sea into the promise.

Moses stood on top of the hill with the staff of God in his hands while Joshua and some of his men fought the Amalekites.  As long as Moses was able to hold his hands up they were winning, and when he grew tired and they were down they were loosing.   Aaron his brother and Hur held his hands up (Exodus 17:12) till they had the victory over the Amalekites.

Lord I pray that this will challenge and encourage your children to praise their way through the obstacles that are in the way of their promises.  May they be able to raise their staff, a new song, a hymn of praise to You.  Let the praise be so evident that others will fear God and put their trust in the Lord (Psalms 40:3).  

Uphold me in your prayers so that I will be able to keep my staff (praise) up until the enemy is defeated regarding what I am praying for which is coming with destructive power.