“So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:4-5)
His day started out just about like every other day had for the past 40 years. He was to go out and watch over and take care of his father-in-law Jethro’s sheep. It was just another day, predictable in so many ways until … the event that would change his life forever.
A burning bush that was not burning up, that was not being consumed by the fire is what attracted this man of God’s attention in the Midian wilderness. It would be at this moment in time God would declare Himself to Moses with both might and power (Exodus 3:4-6).
What a sight that must have been to see … what a moment to capture your attention … what a conversation that would propel Moses to a place of leadership, faith, devotion and service to God!
There are burning bushes, although not the same as the one recorded in Exodus 3 that should beckon us to ‘turn aside’ and to see, to listen, to follow God. Every day offers up ‘burning bushes’ for us to turn aside and see:
- There is a sense of beauty and amazement that accompanies the falling of snow and the wonderful silence that follows.
- There is the majesty of a spectacular sunrise with the faint wisps of clouds and the shades of blue, orange and red accentuating the beauty and anticipation of a brand new day.
- There is the peaceful serenity of a sunset with a few small vaporous clouds sprinkled in that seem to beckon your face to see for the few moments it presents itself.
- Then there is the majestic view of a full harvest moon that rises like a giant orange ball and appears so close that you could almost drive over a little ways and reach out to touch it.
- And there is the brilliance of fall leaves as they begin their metamorphous from shades of green to their bright and brilliant colors before they tumble to the ground.
The wonderful truth is that these scenes of nature that cause us to stop and drink in all they offer are not the only witnesses our great God has left us to attest to His presence! Take a moment to reflect on the inspired words of Psalm 33:6-8, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.”
May I tell you with all sincerity and love that if you are living your life without a sense of Divine presence, it will not be easy for you to tackle the challenges of life, accomplish a big undertaking, or deal effectively with the demanding responsibilities of physical and spiritual life.
Let the Lord see each of us turn aside to look, to see, to seek His words of guidance, wisdom and love as we enjoy the wonders of His creation.
Bill Fairchild, Jr.
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