March 3
Verse of the Day for March 3
Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.Exodus 18:18 KJV
The Key of Stillness · Day 3 of 31
Reflection · 4 min read
Thou Wilt Surely Wear Away
Moses is judging Israel. He sits from morning to evening and the people stand in front of him all day, and he does this because he is the one God speaks to and there is genuinely nobody else qualified.
His father-in-law watches for one day and tells him to stop.
Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
Thou wilt surely wear away. It is a phrase for cloth, or stone — something that does not break suddenly but thins until it is gone. Jethro is not describing a crisis. He is describing erosion.
And notice what he says will wear away: both thou, and this people that is with thee. Moses doing everything was not only costing Moses. It was costing everyone standing in that queue all day.
The solution is unremarkable. Find capable people. Give them the smaller matters. Keep the hard ones. Moses, who spoke with God face to face, took organisational advice from his wife's father and implemented it the same week.
It was not a crisis.It was erosion.
Being the only one who can do it is sometimes true and almost never sustainable, and the people waiting are paying for it too.
The fix was delegation. God did not send a miracle for something a reorganisation could solve.
Carry this today
What are you doing alone that is wearing you thin?
Pray
Read Exodus 18:13–24
13And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening. 14And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? 15And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God: 16When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws. 17And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. 18Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. 19Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: 20And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. 21Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: 22And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. 23If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace. 24So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.
Keep praying
Reflection by Collins Asein, from the daily devotionals in the PrayerKey app. Bible text: King James Version.