9 Moses continued, “At that time I told you, ‘You are too great a burden for me to carry all by myself. 10 The Lord your God has increased your population, making you as numerous as the stars! 11 And may the Lord, the God of your ancestors, multiply you a thousand times more and bless you as he promised! 12 But you are such a heavy load to carry! How can I deal with all your problems and bickering? 13 Choose some well-respected men from each tribe who are known for their wisdom and understanding, and I will appoint them as your leaders.’

14 “Then you responded, ‘Your plan is a good one.’ 15 So I took the wise and respected men you had selected from your tribes and appointed them to serve as judges and officials over you. Some were responsible for a thousand people, some for a hundred, some for fifty, and some for ten. 16 “At that time I instructed the judges, ‘You must hear the cases of your fellow Israelites and the foreigners living among you. Be perfectly fair in your decisions 17 and impartial in your judgments. Hear the cases of those who are poor as well as those who are rich. Don’t be afraid of anyone’s anger, for the decision you make is God’s decision. Bring me any cases that are too difficult for you, and I will handle them.’ 18 “At that time I gave you instructions about everything you were to do. Deuteronomy 1 vs 9-18 New Living Translation

Sometimes people have made it sound like following Jesus means you’ll never have any more problems. The Bible teaches us a different story.

What was the ‘problem’ Moses was facing ? (vs 9-12) Did these people whom God had rescued from Egypt have any problems ? (vs 12) Did they ever quarrel ? (vs 16)

People who set out to follow Jesus will also face problems . . . we will also have some disagreements along the way with other people . . . we may also be faced with some difficult troubles and cares. What should we do when then are troubled times? I’d suggest at least two.

1 Peter 5 vs 7 says: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” We should remember that God cares for those He has redeemed. He won’t just forget those He has rescued at such a great cost.

Secondly, talk about your problem to a fellow Christian who you feel is wise enough to help you. That’s what verse 13 of today’s reading was suggesting. One of the big ways that God often shows his care for us is through other Christians. Galatians 6 vs 2 says: “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”

If we look for solutions to problems in God’s way, what sort of answers should we expect according to verses vs 16-17? Surely the advice we get should be fair to everyone concerned. We mustn’t want favouritism and our way only - but we should want a solution that pleases the Lord.

Ask the Lord to lead you to friends with whom you can discuss your problems. Friends who will love you enough to discover honest solutions.