Why Do You Sit Alone?

Daily Reading: Exodus 18

Scripture Focus: Why do you sit alone? (Exodus 18.14)

Devotional Thought: Don't you just love in-laws? I know that I do! I thank God for giving me a wonderful mother and father-in-law who gave me love and counsel as a young man. Never pushy, they were instead wonderful examples of godliness, industry, and thrift. My life is better because of them

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Moses could say the same thing about his father-in-law, Jethro. He came out to meet his son-in-law and found Moses hard at work, 'judging' the people. When Jethro saw the long lines waiting on Moses, he said, "What you are doing is not good... You are not able to do it alone" (vv. 17-18).

Jethro reminded Moses some things that every Christian worker needs to remember:

• God will be with you (19)... If we get our eyes off the enormity of the task and onto the enormity of God, the task will seem so much smaller. Jesus has sent us a Helper - the Holy Spirit. Rely on him!

• Able men will be with you (21)... God has equipped servants and leaders in the church with abilities and strengths to complement our own. When we work without the help of others, we short-circuit God's plan.

• The people will be with you (23)... When God's people see their leaders including them, they will get behind the project and the leaders! Having the people with you is like having the wind at your back, filling your sails.

God has called us all into his service. When we try to do it alone, we grow weary. We burn out. We fail to see results. The question is, "Why do we sit alone?" There's no need to. For God is with us, other helpers are with us, and the people of God are with us.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you are Emmanuel, God with us. Thank you for giving people skills and abilities to serve you. Thank you for the people that I serve. Help me to open my eyes to these wonderful facts and to never sit alone. Amen.

Psalm of the Day: 9 You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it. 10 You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth. 11 You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance. 12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, 13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy. (Psalms 65:9-13)