Now Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to the mountain of God, to Horeb. — Exod 3:1 NET

Now Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to the mountain of God, to Horeb. — Exod 3:1 NET

For forty years Moses had been shepherding sheep in the wilderness. It appears to us as if all those years were lost. We can see how profitably the first forty were spent. Those earlier years under his mother’s influence–he carried their lessons and impress to the end. Then those years in the schools of Egypt and in the palace he learned much there which was essential to his mission. But what did that long period in the desert do toward fitting him to be a leader, a lawgiver, the builder of a nation? Far more, no doubt, than we can tell. All that while, his character was knitting itself into strength. He was learning self-discipline. In the wilderness, he was taught many a lesson which made him more fit for his work–lessons he could never have learned in the busy life of Pharaoh’s palace.

Nowadays, boys can scarcely wait until they are out of their teens to begin their life-work. Some of them think it a waste of time to take a regular college course before they enter a profession. They think they must get at once into the ministry, or into the medical or legal profession. They cannot afford the time to study through all the long course. No wonder such boys fail as men. When God trains a man for any great work–he always takes plenty of time. No boy acts wisely who is in such a hurry to get to work that he cannot wait to prepare well.