...give thanks and praise to God...

Jethro’s Advice

“1 Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro took her back, 3 along with her two sons. The name of one was Gershom (for he said, ‘I have been an alien in a foreign land’), 

4 and the name of the other, Eliezer (for he said, ‘The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh’). 5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came into the wilderness where Moses was encamped at the mountain of God, bringing Moses’ sons and wife to him. 6 He sent word to Moses, ‘I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, with your wife and her two sons.’ 7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law; he bowed down and kissed him; each asked after the other’s welfare, and they went into the tent. 8 Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had beset them on the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. 9 Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the Lord had done to Israel, in delivering them from the Egyptians.

10 Jethro said, ‘Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. 11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because he delivered the people from the Egyptians, when they dealt arrogantly with them.’ 12 And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt-offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God”

Exodus 18:1-12.

I love these two verses “10 Jethro (Moses’ father-in-law) said, ‘Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. 

11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because he delivered the people from the Egyptians, when they dealt arrogantly with them’” Exodus 18:10-11. 

Oh dear friends, how different our life would be if we could only bless the Lord as Jethro did, whenever we too see God acting with great love in the world. Such an attitude of living is a blessing to us all because we recognize that God is present! Blessing and thanking the Lord for all that He does is a habit of living that will bring us peace and bring others such abundant blessings. 

My Aunt, Marie, who was a Roman Catholic nun, always behaved this way. She always gave God thanks when she saw His hand in anything or anyone. I think this is important for us to embrace this kind of living, just as Jethro did. This comes from prayer and reading the Scriptures. If you are regular with daily prayer and with reading and thinking deeply about the Scriptures, you will find yourself blessing the Lord for all that He is doing in peoples’ lives.

So today let us give thanks for Jethro who give thanks to God for delivering the Israelites from Pharaoh. Jethro knew God and could easily give Him thanks when He recognized the hand of God acting in people’s lives.

I would consider this a fruit of the Spirit.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.