Jan. 30, 2021
God’s people became thirsty as they continued their journey through the wilderness, and they complained to Moses. Moses cried to God, and God told him He would provide water from a rock. God met the people’s needs, but Moses named the place Massah (“testing”) and Meribah (“quarreling”) as a reminder the people had tested the Lord there.
The Amalekites, a marauding band of people, attacked Israel, but Moses’ servant Joshua led a counterattack and defeated them. Joshua later would assume leadership over all Israel after Moses died (Joshua 1:1-9).
Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, visited him, and Moses told him all the great things God had done. Jethro marveled and praised God; yet, he also expressed his concern that Moses was shouldering all the leadership burden. He suggested Moses delegate some responsibility to others; doing this would free Moses to be the leader he needed to be.
Jesus likened God’s kingdom to a vineyard owner who hired workers throughout the day to work his vineyard. Some worked all day, others worked a good part of the day, while still others worked only an hour or so. Yet, at the day’s end, the vineyard owner paid each worker a denarius—a day’s wage for a hired worker.
The owner reminded the all-day workers who grumbled that they had agreed to work for that price; he could be generous to the others if he chose to do so. Likewise, God is free to bless different people as He desired.
Make It Personal
- Are you taking on too much in any areas of your life?
- Jesus said regarding the kingdom of heaven, “The last will be first, and the first will be last” (Matthew 20:16). Do you sometimes become envious of others who seem to have more of God’s blessing?
- In what great ways might God use all the gifts He gives His people, whether those gifts seem large or small to us?