As you can tell, I’m reading Exodus :). I love the stories of people first experiencing God. They possessed less information about the Living God, but experienced first hand who He was for themselves. We see such raw reaction in their awe, stubbornness, and repeated repentance. So many behaviors that I know I can relate to in my relationship with The Lord!
A section stood out to me today which I wanted to share with you, sweethearts of mine!
During this part of the Israelites journey, the people have been led by God, through Moses, from location to location in the desert. They have grumbled against the Lord, demanding His provision, and they have seen His kindness in response. When they thirst, He made what was bitter bearable. When they hungered, He invented a totally new food (Um, awesome?)! But this morning their leader, Moses, poked out of the pages to me.
In ch 18 Moses’ father-in-law comes to visit (while the beauty of miracles is overwhelming, I love the normalcy of that). The two visit, dine, and marvel at the work of God. On his extended stay, Jethro is invited to Moses’ weekly routine. Once a week, from sunrise to sunset “Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people ” (v13). Moses had direct connection with the Great I AM! What a responsibility he held for those around him. What joy, and what pressure I could imagine. “Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions,” Moses explained to Jethro (v16). (OMG!)
Jethro spoke the way only a family member can when he informed Moses, “What you are doing is not good. ....The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone” (partial verses 17-18)
So Jethro advised Him to share the burden with those who were deemed as God-fearing, trustworthy men around him. A lesson in itself is that Moses accepted the advice of his father in law ;). But what I hear in my heart when I read this, is that we can’t do it alone my sweets. God does not intend for us to! Oh how we can bare the burden of each other and lift these requests up to the Lord shoulder-to-shoulder. I am so thankful the Lord has given me YOU, Jessie, and YOU Michelle, and You Dana, Ashley, Annie, ALL OF YOU to walk along side me, encourage me, and spur me on towards Jesus. But some days, I need a hug, some days, you do too. And we are here for that. God has provided it for us!
“If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied” (v23).
I love you girls so much, let’s always go home satisfied with the Lord!
Also... “Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country” (v27). There is a time for everything, right? Lol ;).
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