Wise Counsel
Are you good at taking advice from others?
Verse of the Day
“Moses listened to his father-in-law’s advice and followed his suggestions.”
Today’s Devotional
Moses was a good leader of a massive group of people who must have been frustrating to lead. Let’s look at today’s chapter for insight into the way Moses did his job.
Here are my observations:
- We don’t know when Moses sent his wife and sons to Jethro. (v.2)
- Jethro took the time to travel to Moses and reconnect with him. (v.5)
- Moses humbled himself before his father-in-law. (v.7)
- Moses told about God’s deeds, not his own. (v.8)
- In pointing out God’s deeds, Jethro praised and worshiped God. (vv.9-12)
- Jethro took the time and interest in Moses’s daily affairs and noticed how overworked Moses was. (v.14)
- Moses was doing the best he knew how to do. (vv.15-16)
- Jethro sees the limits of Moses’s time and abilities. He offers advice on a different way of doing “business”. (vv.17-23)
- Jethro suggests that Moses confirm the advice with God first. (v.23)
- Moses follows the advice of his father-in-law. (vv.24-27)
There is so much to learn from this one chapter. I’m going to share what stands out to me as lessons that God is inviting me to learn.
Connection: It takes time to connect with people and develop relationships. Often we believe the lies of our own “busy-ness” and therefore we don’t take the time to build relationships. Godly people help us to see and hear what God is trying to say, so perhaps it is time to make relationships a higher priority.
Humility: Even though Moses was a great and powerful leader, he was not too proud to humble himself before his father-in-law. I find that very beautiful. Our world tells us that we should lift ourselves up. God shows us that true leadership and power is found in humility.
Giving credit where it is due: Moses did not spend his time patting himself on the back, he boasted about God and His mighty acts. Even when we accomplish great things, it is still God who deserves the credit. Philippians 2:13 says, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” In 1 Peter 4:10, we are told that “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” Every skill and ability each of us has comes directly from God. He deserves the credit. Instead of being proud of ourselves, we should be grateful and quick to give God the credit.
Praise and Worship: When we give God the praise and credit, it has the potential to lead others to increase their faith in God and to praise Him. What other people do with the evidence is not our job, but pointing out God’s power, goodness, and majesty is definitely part of our job.
Keen Interest: Jethro could have spent his time visiting Moses as a time of rest and diversion. Instead he took a keen interest in what was going on with Moses. That is a sign of being others-focused as opposed to self-focused. If we take the time to focus our attention on others, God might use us to speak His wisdom to them. Or encourage them. Or simply be the friend that they need.
Wise Counsel: One of my favorite parts of this story is when Jethro suggests that Moses take Jethro’s advice to God for confirmation. That’s the sign of a humble leader. Jethro did not assume that his way was right (even though it was.) He encouraged Moses to seek God. As long as we are always pointing people back to God, we can never fall victim to thinking we know best.
Being Teachable: Moses took the advice that Jethro gave him. In doing so, Moses had to let go of some control over his leadership. He had to choose to trust other people in the governance of the community. While we can see the benefit of his decision in hindsight, in the moment I would bet that Moses dealt with some uncertainty. We would be wise to be willing to be teachable, to be willing to listen to the counsel of others, and to be willing to let go of control.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
What steps can you put into action today to make or enhance connections with the people who matter to you?
Who could you reach out to for the first time? Perhaps there is someone whose faith you admire…
How can you embrace humility no matter what your current role or circumstances?
What does God deserve credit for today?
How can you praise God to another person today?
How can you show keen interest in the life of another person today?
When was the last time you took advice from someone? Did you pray about the advice you were given?
How can you ask God to make you more teachable?
What is something you may need to let go of control over?