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Today our text comes from Exodus 18:13-27.\xa0
May God bless you as you hear his word.

The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, \u201cWhat is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?\u201d

Moses answered him, \u201cBecause the people come to me to seek God\u2019s will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God\u2019s decrees and instructions.\u201d

Moses\u2019 father-in-law replied, \u201cWhat 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\u2019s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. But select capable men from all the people\u2014men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain\u2014and 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. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.\u201d

Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.

Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.

This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: \xa0 \xa0

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping,
That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace.
May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore.\xa0
Amen.