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. Exodus 18:18
At a burning bush in the wilderness Moses had an encounter with God. After much debate, he returned to Egypt and dealt with a shameful incident in his past, a pharaoh that thought himself a god and a people crying for liberation, but didn’t want it to take too much effort.
The story of Moses continues: God led His chosen nation out of bondage and on a journey to the greatest promise of peace and prosperity ever known. Things didn’t go smoothly. There was whining and murmuring, two very destructive forces. Moses was acting as leader, guide, manager, prophet, judge, husband and father. The days were long, crises seemed to pile up and no one was ever completely satisfied. His father-in-law Jethro steps in with awareness, discernment and the advice found in chapter 18.
If you are overworked and overwhelmed, you may be doing more than God has asked you to do alone. The world will take everything you have and pout because you couldn’t give more. God does not exploit or abuse our resources and energy. He is the source of rest and restoration.
Have a great day,
Gretchen