gELo...

“When was the last time that someone corrected me and I felt negative about it???”–A hanging question that I kept for myself this evening after reading my Bible.

    I was reflecting a certain situation from God's Word (Exodus 18:17-27) wherein Moses had an encounter with his father-in-law named Jethro while he was on his seat serving as a judge for the people, who were gathered around him to bring up their disputes in life. 

 Moses was corrected right on the spot by Jethro:

 v.18-19“…What you are doing is not good.  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.  Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him.

v.20-22 “Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform.  But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you.”

The suggestion of Jethro sounds obviously right for me, but I was imagining how Moses felt about this correction? - knowing all the miraculous things that God did through him, and remembering all his achievements as the leader for bringing out God’s people from Egypt. He could have responded in an arrogant manner saying :

“Don’t you know that I am the closest man to God in this generation? It’s impossible that I could get wrong in this situation!”

Or

“Hold on God can speak directly to me, I’ll ask Him to appear first”

His response could have been too furious to reject a correction from Jethro, he could have even thought of his image knowing that Jethro corrected him in front of the people who happens to consider him as their leader – “a very anointed one”.

But the way Moses reacted on the situation was so encouraging that he never focused on himself but he made an option to focus on the solution to improve the system that he was doing. He decided to LISTEN, and accepted the correction.

v.24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.

Moses didn’t wait for God’s direct confirmation to decide or even doubted Jethro’s credibility but an act of simple HUMILTY made him decide that his father-in-law was right to resolve the scenario.

                                                                            Philippians 2:3-4
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

Well…… I just got so convicted that even a GREAT MAN from the BIBLE knows how to listen, and it’s a sufficient evidence that we need OTHERS in this life- that even a MOSES needed someone like Jethro.

He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

Christmas day is rapidly approaching…..
What are you planning to give for your loved ones this Christmas?
I believe that the shepherds have something to suggest for a perfect present this Christmas for someone who is close to your heart.. …

 

“To tell the Truth and nothing but the whole Truth, so help me God…..”   A very popular phrase that popped out of my mind when I was reading my bible, particularly in the book of Luke 2:8-18. This was about the shepherds who had an encounter with angels during the night when Jesus was born. They became instant witnesses of history that will change millions of lives of people. The moment when the Savior was born, I was asking my self regarding the significance of the shepherds being informed by the angels of God… Why them? What was God’s purpose of letting them know that Jesus was born on that night?

What can I learn from them?  I was even imagining that the angels might have done a better job if they have chosen to inform someone who is influential, rich and powerful who would create an intense impact to other people… But why these shepherds..? Who were just common people?

Then I came to a point of realizing that the answer is their response to God’s call……. v.15 “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

 

They knew that God was telling them to go to Bethlehem though the angel was not directly instructing them to do so. But they still decided to see where the Messiah can be found.  The story didn’t end the moment they have seen the  Lord Jesus lying in the manger …

 

They also knew that they need to share what they have witnessed…

 

v.17-18”When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them”

 

Indeed, God is not really after any famous, popular and powerful personality.. He is not after our own GREATNESS.. He is after a passionate and an obedient heart that He can use to glorify HIS name!

 

Who must be like the shepherds today? Who are called to do the same?

 

God is pleased whenever we bless other people out of generosity with precious presents and surprises… But CHRISTMAS I believe is about sharing the greatest gift, that God longs to give for every lost person in this world…If only THEY would respond… …if only WE would share….  To our loved ones….To our friends and classmates….The Gift of Salvation….. The Messiah who lives inside our HEARTS!
                 
v.20 “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”

 

Like the shepherds:

           “To Declare the TRUTH and nothing but the whole TRUTH”