Rooted In Wisdom - Dwelling in the Word
- T.J. Lucas
- Jun 24
- 4 min read
Scripture for Reflection: Exodus 18:13–24 (NRSV)
This week, I invite you to dwell in this passage slowly and prayerfully. Take your time. You don’t have to study it—just sit with it. Let it speak to you.
You might try this rhythm:
🌱 How to Dwell in the Word:
Read the passage slowly. What word, phrase, or idea catches your attention?
Read it again. Why do you think that part stood out? What might God be showing you?
Talk to God. What questions, emotions, or thoughts does this bring up? Share them with God honestly.
Sit in silence. Don’t try to fix or figure it all out. Just be still for a moment and rest in God's presence.
📜 Old Testament: Exodus 18:13–24 (NRSV)
13 The next day Moses sat as judge for the people, while the people stood around him from morning until evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?” 15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have a dispute, they come to me, and I decide between one person and another, and I make known to them the statutes and instructions of God.” 1 7 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people with you. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. 19 Now listen to me. I will give you counsel, and God be with you! You should represent the people before God, and you should bring their cases before God; 20 teach them the statutes and instructions and make known to them the way they are to go and the things they are to do. 21 You should also look for able individuals among all the people, individuals who fear God, are trustworthy, and hate dishonest gain; set such individuals over them as officers over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 22 Let them sit as judges for the people at all times; let them bring every important case to you, but decide every minor case themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people will go to their home in peace.” 24 So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did all that he had said.
✍️ Reflection Questions
What part of this story connects to something I’m experiencing right now?
Who in my life has offered me wisdom that I’ve either listened to—or ignored?
What burdens am I carrying alone that I could begin to share?
What would it look like to root my future decisions in trusted voices from the past?
🌾 Companion Scripture: Luke 2:36–38 (NRSV)
There was also a prophet, Anna... She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
Anna reminds us that wisdom doesn’t always come from the center of the spotlight. Sometimes, like we reflected last week with the fireflies, it flickers quietly in the corners—steady, faithful, often overlooked. But when we pause long enough to notice, we see that light for what it is: sacred, guiding, and deeply rooted in love.
Like Jethro in Exodus, Anna offers a voice from the past that helps shape the future. She doesn’t try to control it—she simply recognizes what God is doing and gives it a voice.
When I think of Anna, I think of my own Nana—and my Grandma Rose, who has passed. If I had left their voices behind, I would have missed so much: the stories that shaped our family, the lessons they lived and passed down. The wisdom they gave me isn’t meant to stay with me—it’s something I now get to add to, carry forward, and pass on to my children, and maybe one day, to their children too.
These stories remind us to ask: Whose wisdom are we listening to?
And how are we carrying it into the future God is unfolding?
🪞 Reflection Questions (Luke 2:36–38)
Have I ever underestimated someone because of their age, role, or quietness?
What does Anna teach me about the kind of person I want to become?
How can I use my voice—right now—to point someone toward hope?
🙏 A Prayer for the Week
God of generations, You speak through those who watch quietly and love deeply. Make me attentive to the wisdom around me—especially when it comes through gentle voices and steady lives. Help me carry only what I’m meant to carry, and share the rest with trusted companions. Root me in your faithfulness, and let the voices of the past braid strength into my future. Amen.
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