Finally, the trumpets are sounding and the Israelites are about to set out on what should be a journey of around 11 days to the southern borders of the land that God has promised them.

Amid the preparations and the excitement, Scripture records this little conversation between Moses and Hobab, his father-in-law. Now that the moment of departure has come, Hobab is thinking of returning to Midian, his own land, and his own people, but Moses has other ideas.

Their conversation is a little insight into how important it can be to recognise and value the gifts that people have. Hobab doesn’t think he is needed anymore, but Moses recognises that he has valuable knowledge that could benefit the Israelites. He knows the desert, he knows where the watering holes are, he can pick out good places to camp.

Now, of course, Hobab was not the Israelites’ guide – God himself was to be their guide. But Moses wanted Hobab to stay with them and to share in the blessing of God. He encourages him to stay by speaking words of encouragement to him, recognising his value and his worth. The Israelites would certainly have been guided through the desert with or without Hobab – they didn’t really need Hobab, but Hobab really needed God.

So Moses, by recognising and declaring Hobab’s value, was able to bring Hobab closer to the Lord and into a place where the Lord could bless him. In the New Testament, we see that Paul writes to the Thessalonians that they should “encourage one another and build each other up…” (1 Thess 5:11). When we do this, not only do we make people feel good and benefit from their gifts and talents, but we also help to draw them closer to the Lord, rather than pushing them further away.

What a difference we would make in people’s lives if we all committed to say just one encouraging thing to one person each day. That would be a worthwhile commitment to make.

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NEWBOLD COMMUNITY CHURCH