68_Joining God’s plan

Ex 18: 1-9 Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her home, 3 along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a sojourner[a] 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 with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God. 6 And when he sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,” 7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and 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 come upon them in the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. 9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the Lord had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.

A man was hiking through the wilderness. He had mapped his path carefully, but as he neared the summit, he veered slightly off course. Though the detour seemed insignificant, when he finally stopped to take in the view, the mountaintop was nowhere in sight. He was almost there, but that did not take him to his goal.

This story mirrors a crucial truth in our spiritual journey: almost right is not enough. It is not enough to understand God’s truth without fully committing to it. This can be just as perilous as being far away. This principle comes alive in the story of Jethro in Exodus 18:1-9—a story of wisdom, faith, and, ultimately, decisions that had lasting consequences for his family.

Jethro, the priest of Midian and Moses’ father-in-law, was a good and wise man. He had long supported Moses, sheltering him during his exile and entrusting his daughter to him in marriage. Jethro likely knew Moses’ story—the circumstances under which he fled Egypt, his faith in God, and the extraordinary call on his life. As Hebrews 11:26-27 describes, Moses considered the reproach of Christ greater than Egypt’s treasures and endured as though seeing the invisible God.

When Moses returned to Egypt on God’s command, Jethro graciously let him go. At some point, Moses sent his wife and sons back to Jethro. Now, in Exodus 18, Jethro brings Moses’ family back to the camp of Israel.

Sitting with the elders, Jethro had heard about all the Lord had done for Israel—how God delivered them from Egypt’s bondage and led them safely through the Red Sea. Jethro rejoiced, exclaiming, “Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians.” He acknowledged the greatness of Jehovah over all other gods and even offered sacrifices to Him. He also gave Moses wise advice about administering justice in Israel without wearing himself out, helping him to understand the need to train and delegate some work to others who were fit for the task.

After all this, Jethro departs, returning to Midian. However, Numbers 10:29 shows that at the request of Moses, Jethro’s son, Hobab, remained behind with his clan, to travel on with the Israelites, acting as scouts. This kindness is remembered throughout Israel’s history, and the descendants of Hobab, the Kenites, lived among the people and had an honoured place in the nation. There were also the Rechabites, descendants of the Kenites who chose to live among Israel. Their story is told in Jeremiah 35. Though not Israelites by birth, they adopted Jehovah as their God and lived an austere pastoral lifestyle as instructed by their ancestor Jonadab. Their obedience became a powerful testimony during Jeremiah’s time, as their faithfulness stood in stark contrast to Judah’s disobedience. 1 Chron 2:55 also names a family of scribes descended from the Kenites.

The story of the Kenites emphasizes the way anyone who is willing to follow the ways of God is welcomed into his fold, across ethnic or cultural boundaries. God is no respecter of persons.

This pattern is reflected in the lives of others in Scripture like Ruth. Ruth was a Moabite girl and a widow. She had married the son of an Israelite family who sought refuge in her country from famine. After the death of her father-in-law, her husband, and her brother-in-law, she was faced with her mother-in-law’s decision to return to her own country, where the famine was now over. While Ruth’s sister-in-law Orpah turned back to her own people and gods, Ruth declared, “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16). Ruth’s wholehearted decision, driven by kindness and conviction, was to leave her own people and her family behind. At the cost of personal loss, she resolved to go with Naomi, live in Israel, and serve Naomi’s God. This choice brought her under the wings of the God of Israel, and she became part of Israel’s royal line in a marvelous way.

Another example comes from Rebekah in Genesis 24. When asked if she would return with Abraham’s servant to Canaan, and marry Isaac, she resolutely answered, “I will go.” There was no hesitation, no looking back—her heart was set on her destination.

This decision reminds us of Jesus’ warning in Luke 14:26-27: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”

Let us be open to God’s guidance, willing to make the leap of full commitment. It’s easy to sing about God’s faithfulness, acknowledge His power, and worship God, while still living our own way. But almost right is not right. God calls us to loyalty, denying our own will so that we can follow Him wholeheartedly. True discipleship is marked by unwavering commitment.

Like Ruth, who chose selflessly to follow Naomi, in love and faith, the Lord calls us to make decisions that may seem costly in the moment but lead to eternal reward. Here is where we need to examine our lives and identify areas where we may be heading off target, distracted by our wrong priorities and ambitions. Let us not allow other things—career, relationships, comfort—to be more important to us than God’s call. Let us not be reluctant to trust Him completely.

When someone asked C. T. Studd, the famous English cricketer who gave up his career to become a missionary, how he felt about his sacrifice, he responded indignantly, “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” Like Ruth and Rebekah, we who hear God’s call must say, “I will go,” without looking back. And like the Rechabites, we must remain faithful, even when the world around us chooses otherwise. We have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

Let’s not settle for being almost right. Let’s take that final step of surrender, trusting that the God who calls us is faithful to complete the work He begins in us. God bless.