Day 35 with Moses: The Lord didn’t mean for us to go it alone.

“So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. So they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭18:24-26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

When I was in high school I sang a duet with my friend, Jewel Jones, for a school talent show. That song was, “No Man is an Island.” This song was made famous in the 70’s by Joan Baez; but the sentiment expressed in the title goes back to John Donne writing back in the 17th century. In the 70s, this song served as kind of an antiwar statement. Here are the lyrics:

No man is an island,

No man stands alone,

Each man's joy is joy to me,

Each man's grief is my own.

We need one another,

So I will defend,

Each man as my brother,

Each man as my friend.

I saw the people gather,

I heard the music start,

The song that they were singing,

Is ringing in my heart.

No man is an island,

Way out in the blue,

We all look to the one above,

For our strength to renew.

When I help my brother,

Then I know that I,

Plant the seed of friendship,

That will never die.

You see, Jewel Jones was black. I am not. Our school was predominantly black in the last three years of the five I attended. I don’t really remember there being much racial tension in my high school; but that may be a function of the fact that my circle of friends was mixed. Whatever the case, Jewel and I wanted to do this song as an inspiration toward understanding our need for one another. Now, whereas our duet didn’t earn us a Nobel Peace Prize, it was our gesture, and we enjoyed doing it.

Today we aren’t discussing race relations per se; but we are discussing our need for one another.

Most of us have heard the term “synergy.” Simply put, this means that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Or, the combination of two (or more) things has an effect greater than the effect coming from the total of the individual effects acting separately.

Are you glazed over yet? Before you are, let’s look at what the Bible has to say about this phenomenon:

“Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4:9-12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Yes, we do need each other; and the effects of trying to go it alone can be debilitating.

Today we find Moses—having tried to go it alone—becoming very worn out. His father-in-law, Jethro, has come for a visit and has seen firsthand the strain under which Moses is operating. Therefore, Jethro offers him some very good advice to the effect that he needed to train leaders and let them help bear the load of dealing with the multitude’s issues.

Moses needed help, as do we ALL. Bear in mind, if any person had the wherewithal to go it alone, it would have been our Lord. But note, He chose twelve disciples, who, along with many others, followed Him wherever He went, helping in whatever way was needed. Additionally, when He sent out the disciples He did not send them out alone.

“And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭6:7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I know that it’s tempting sometimes to want to operate as an island. There’s certainly less risk of hurt that way; and you definitely don’t have to worry about rejection. But, even if you find it tempting to be a “Lone Ranger,” remember, even the Lone Ranger had Tonto.

For today let us discover what Moses discovered:

The Lord didn’t mean for us to go it alone.

#40dayswithmoses