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Listen while you read: "O Lord Of Heav'n And Earth And Sea"1 (Lyrics) |
Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, gave him sound advice in Exodus 18:17-24. The basic thought goes something like this:
- The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Share the work load. Select capable people, then teach and show them.
The most important part of the story is Moses' reaction to that advice.
Exodus 18:24 – Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. (NIV)
This line alone tells us what a godly man Moses actually was. That's because too many of us would rather give advice than take it.
- The true secret in giving advice is, after you have honestly given it, to be perfectly indifferent whether it is taken or not and never persist in trying to set people right. – Hannah Whitall Smith
Prayer: Father God, You know how we like to spout off answers for everyone else's troubles. Give us grace to listen to a few as well, especially the ones You offer to us. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
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Point taken!
A good challenge Brenda.
Your message is truly a good one!
How true! Very good advice indeed, Brenda. Thank you and God bless.
I like Hannah Whitall Smith’s words. They are a good adage to live by. Thank you so much.
Thank you Brenda for a great lesson in less than two-hundred words!
Blessings.
Thank you Brenda, rest assured I will be taking your advice to heart.
Peace be upon you.
So true Brenda, so many of us don’t delegate, as we often feel nobody can do it like I do. Thanks for the reminder that we can’t do it all ourself.
Dear Brenda!
I find your devotionals poetic.
Thanks for writing to us.
Hello Brenda! I just love Hannah Whitall Smith’s advice. I must remember those words. I sometimes like to follow-up to see if my advice was taken!!! Blessings.
Hi Brenda – good job! Something we all need, especially me, to remember. Hannah Whitall Smith’s 19th century book “The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life” is a classic.
Blessings.
The true secret in giving advice is, after you have honestly given it, to be perfectly indifferent whether it is taken or not and never persist in trying to set people right. – Hannah Whitall Smith.
Brenda this was, is, good advice for all.
As always, a thought provoking message.
Dear Brenda Wood,
Thank you for reminding me about Moses taking advice, and about his father-in-low suggesting he get help and not do everything himself. It’s a long time since I was reminded of this.
I do have someone mow my lawn! But I could give some others a chance to do some things for me.
Keep writing.
Brenda,
Eight grandchildren just spent some time with us. When I read your devotional, it made me smile. It would have been so easy to give those children, each one, some perfectly wonderful advice. After they left (and we had a grand time), my husband was discussing some of their habits, etc. I smiled and said, “Not our job, not our job. We are the grandparents.”
(Texas)
Good Morning, Brenda
What an excellent Daily Devotional!
How very true it is that we all enjoy giving advice. We all seem to want to be seen as an “expert” so are delighted when our opinion is sought. But having been asked once, we then begin giving unrequested advice, without giving a thought to how the listener will view the albeit well-intended direction! When we see that the other person hasn’t followed this advice, we often repeat it in hopes they’ll listen. When that happens we are treating the advice as somehow still being “ours”, failing to see we have given it away/released it.
Yours is a wonderful reminder of how we should give our advice — without strings — and that when we are seeking advice, we need only ask the true expert in our lives: Our Heavenly Father. Thanks for the reminder.
Please do continue to write!
God Bless!
Good afternoon Brenda,
Always so glad to see your Devotionals. You are so right “listening” is such a gift!
As always, short and sweet and to the point.