I’ll be honest with you: whenever I read the book of Exodus, I find myself getting frustrated with the Israelites. They seemed to complain about everything. But yesterday, while reading Exodus 18, something caught my attention in a way I didn’t expect.
This time, my focus wasn’t on the Israelites’ complaints. It was on Moses’ exhaustion and the person God sent to help him see what he couldn’t see for himself.
When Moses Was Carrying Too Much
Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came to meet him in the wilderness. He brought Moses’ wife, Zipporah, and his two sons back to him after Moses had sent them away. When Jethro arrived, he saw something that immediately caught his attention.
Moses was sitting as a judge for the people. From morning until evening, they came to him with their disputes, questions, and concerns. He spent his entire day helping them understand God’s laws and solve their problems.
But Jethro noticed something Moses did not.
Moses carried a burden that was too heavy for one person to bear.
Jethro asked him a simple but powerful question: “What is this you are doing for the people?”
It was not a question of criticism. It was a question that opened Moses’ eyes to a problem he did not even realize was there.
Others See What We Cannot
Moses was in the middle of the situation. He was the one waking up every day to the same responsibilities. He settled every dispute and tried to meet every need.
Because he was so close to the problem, he could not see another way.
Then Jethro stepped in.
An outsider. A father-in-law. Someone who was not carrying the same responsibility but could clearly see Moses’ reality.
Jethro told Moses that what he was doing was not good. He encouraged him to appoint capable and trustworthy men to handle the smaller matters while Moses focused on the difficult cases and continued teaching the people God’s ways.
This was not about Moses being weak or incapable. It was about recognizing that even faithful people need help.
Sometimes obedience to God also means accepting that we cannot do everything alone.
God Can Send Wisdom Through People
What stayed with me after reading this passage was this: Moses may not have even considered delegation as an option.
He was probably exhausted. Maybe deeply exhausted. But because he focused solely on serving others, he did not realize how much weight he carried.
Then God sent Jethro. It is proof that when God sends a Jethro, the solution comes through someone who is already part of our lives.
This reminded me of James 1:5:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
When we ask God for wisdom, we often expect Him to answer in a specific way. We may look for a sign, a sudden revelation, or a clear direction during prayer.
But sometimes the wisdom God gives comes through Scripture. Sometimes it comes through a sermon. And other times — maybe more often than we realize — it comes through a Jethro. Through someone who cares enough to ask the hard questions.
Someone who loves us enough to say, “What is this you are doing?” And helps us recognize the areas where we need support, change, or a new perspective.
Who Is Your Jethro?
After reading Exodus 18, I found myself praying a simple prayer:
“God, open my eyes to the areas where I need help. Give me wisdom. Bring people into my life who can guide me to become better.”
Maybe you are carrying a burden right now that you were never meant to carry alone.
Ask God to open your eyes. Be willing to receive wisdom. And pay attention to the people He places around you. You never know when God sends a Jethro to offer the wisdom or encouragement you’ve been praying for.
Because if Moses needed a Jethro, so do I. And so do you.
