Verse of the day: Exodus
2:17-19 Then the
shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and
watered their flock. 18 When they came to Reuel their father, he said,
“How is it that you have come so soon today?” 19 And they said,
“An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he also drew
enough water for us and watered the flock.”
Even
being in a strange land, we see something about Moses that says much about his
character, and who he is. While in Egypt, he refused to stand by idly while a
Hebrew man was mistreated by an Egyptian; and later tried to intervene, and
resolve a quarrel between two Hebrew men. Now in Midian, he comes to the aid of
Jethro’s daughters when they are harassed by shepherds. Moses was a man who
sought justice, not for himself, but on behalf of others. He was a man of
compassion who did not like to see other suffer unfairly. Psalm 106:3 reads, “Blessed are those who keep justice, and he
who does righteousness at all times!” Justice begins with us, and how we
treat others. It is about always doing what is right before God, not man;
because man has a warped sense of what is right and wrong. What is acceptable,
especially in today’s society, is not always what is right. The Lord said in Isaiah
1:17, concerning Judah, “Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke
the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.” This certainly
applies to us today as well. However, we must be careful that we do not cross
the line between seeking justice, and seeking vengeance, as meting out
vengeance, in carrying out justice, belongs to the Lord (Romans 12:9-21). We,
as God’s children, are to treat others fairly, and seek out the wellbeing of
others, over our own wellbeing (1 Corinthians 10:24). In other words, true joy
comes from putting Jesus first, in obeying what His commands, “Others” second,
by seeking the wellbeing of those around us, and finally “Yourself”, in
trusting that when we put the Lord and others before ourselves, God will take
care of our needs (1 Peter 5:7). Not only was Moses a man who sought justice
for others, but he was a compassionate man also. He looked upon the suffering
of his people in Egypt, and had pity on them. He saw the daughters of Jethro in
a helpless situation, and took pity on them. However, note that he did not just
stand by as an observer. Moses was a man who allowed his compassion to drive
him to action. The Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 3:12, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies
(compassion), kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering”. This means that
when we see that our fellow brother/sister is in a bad way, we actually do
something to help. In Matthew 9:36, it is written of Jesus, “But when He saw
the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and
scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” Jesus saw our need, and did
something about it. We, as followers of Christ, are called to show the same
compassion towards others that Jesus showed toward us. 1 John 3:16-18 reminds
us, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for
us. And we also ought to lay down our lives
for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother
in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed
and in truth.” The needs of another may not always be material. Our help
can be in the form of giving our time, speaking up on behalf of another,
encouraging one another in Christ, coming alongside one that is struggling
spiritually, emotionally, or physically, and doing whatever we can to help. We
may not always be able to solve another person’s situation, but we can
certainly encourage them, and support them, in their struggle. Sometimes, the
best thing we can do for another is to show them that we genuinely care for
their wellbeing. Love them like Jesus loves us.
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