“The Work Is Too Heavy For You”
The next day Moses
took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from
morning till evening. When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for
the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you
alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till
evening?”
Moses answered him,
“Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. 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’ father-in-law
replied, “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you
will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle
it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with
you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their
disputes to him. Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way
they are to live and how they are to behave. But select capable men from all
the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and
appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.Have them serve as judges for the people at all times,
but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can
decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it
with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the
strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”
Moses listened to his
father-in-law and did everything he said. He chose capable men from all
Then Moses sent his
father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his
own country.
Exodus
18:13-27
We are not able to do
it all. There isn’t enough time in the day. Delegate the easy things, and save
the hard issues for you to take to God.
Whether you are a
mother with small children, or a business executive, or a church volunteer, you
can take a lesson from Moses.
If we
don’t come apart and rest awhile, we may just come apart!
Our Daily Bread –