Today’s devotion comes from Exodus 18:1-12.
“1 Now 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 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Moses’ wife Zipporah, after he had sent her away, 3 and her two sons, of whom one was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.” 4 The other was named Eliezer, for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
5 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was camped, at the mount of God. 6 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 Then Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed down and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. 8 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 befallen them on the journey, and how the Lord had delivered them. 9 Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, in delivering them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10 So Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord who delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods; indeed, it was proven when they dealt proudly against the people.” 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law before God.” Exodus 18:1-12.
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We notice the contrast between the sons of Israel who tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us, or not?” (Exodus 17:7) and Jethro, this Midian, who “rejoiced over all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, in delivering them from the hand of the Egyptians.” Verse 9.
Do we rejoice over all the goodness that the LORD has done for us? Or, are we kind of quiet, reserving our joy, measuring our emotions to see what happens next?
Scripture is clear. “The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.” Psalm 118:15.
Psalm 32:11
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.
Psalm 33:3
Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
Psalm 35:27
Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication; And let them say continually, “The Lord be magnified, Who delights in the prosperity of His servant.”
Psalm 47:1
O clap your hands, all peoples; Shout to God with the voice of joy.
Psalm 66:1
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth;
Psalm 71:23
My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; And my soul, which You have redeemed.
Psalm 81:1
Sing for joy to God our strength; Shout joyfully to the God of Jacob.
Psalm 95:1
O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.
Psalm 95:2
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
Psalm 98:4
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.
Psalm 100:1
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
Psalm 126:2
Then our mouth was filled with laughter And our tongue with joyful shouting; Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”
Psalm 145:7
They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.
Isaiah 12:6
Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 14:7
“The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; They break forth into shouts of joy.
Isaiah 24:14
They raise their voices, they shout for joy; They cry out from the west concerning the majesty of the Lord.
Isaiah 26:19
Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.
Isaiah 35:2
It will blossom profusely And rejoice with rejoicing and shout of joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, The majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the Lord, The majesty of our God.
Isaiah 35:6
Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness And streams in the Arabah.
Isaiah 35:10
And the ransomed of the Lord will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Isaiah 42:11
Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voices, The settlements where Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing aloud, Let them shout for joy from the tops of the mountains.
Isaiah 44:23
Shout for joy, O heavens, for the Lord has done it! Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it; For the Lord has redeemed Jacob And in Israel He shows forth His glory.
Isaiah 48:20
Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Declare with the sound of joyful shouting, proclaim this, Send it out to the end of the earth; Say, “The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob.”
Isaiah 49:13
Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people And will have compassion on His afflicted.
Isaiah 52:8
Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices, They shout joyfully together; For they will see with their own eyes When the Lord restores Zion.
Isaiah 52:9
Break forth, shout joyfully together, You waste places of Jerusalem; For the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem.
Isaiah 54:1
“Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child; Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed; For the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous Than the sons of the married woman,” says the Lord.
Isaiah 55:12
“For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Isaiah 61:7
Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, Everlasting joy will be theirs.
Isaiah 65:14
“Behold, My servants will shout joyfully with a glad heart, But you will cry out with a heavy heart, And you will wail with a broken spirit.
Zephaniah 3:14
Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
After all, God shouts for joy too!
Psalm 105:43
And He brought forth His people with joy, His chosen ones with a joyful shout.
Zephaniah 3:17
“The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 