Burning Bush Moment

Picture by Caprice Miller

“There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up.  “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.”  – Exodus 3:2-3 NLT

Outdoor parties are fun.  But when the sun goes down light becomes important in order to keep the guest around.  In the case of the picture above, creative lighting can work great.  It becomes not only a source of light, but a conversation piece also.

I wonder if this was God’s initial intention with the burning bush.  Grabbing the attention of Moses through the light of fire would work, but for the bush to not be consumed by the fire…..now that’s an attention getter.  An event that must be examined more closely.   Like a moth to a flame, Moses is drawn near.  Little did he know he was coming into the very presence of God.  What an encounter!  It was truly life changing for him.  Because he didn’t ignore the burning bush, he was able to spend time with his Creator.  Moses was able to get perspective and discover his purpose in life.  He was able to actually question God about this decision to choose him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.  He was able to hear God respond to the arguments he put up against this decision – I stutter, they won’t listen to me, etc….  Thankfully, God didn’t give up on Moses and turn out the light of the burning bush and leave him there talking to ashes.  Moses took the mission and led the Israelites out of Egypt.

What if Moses had ignored his burning bush moment?   How would that have changed history?  Would there have even been a book of Exodus?  That was a monumental moment for Moses and the entire nation of Israel.  

It could be said that God has “burning bush moments” for each of us also.  It may not be to instruct us about leading an entire nation out of captivity, but He has a purpose for our lives.  Too many times though, we allow ourselves to be distracted by the whirlwinds of life.  We ignore the nudges that could lead us to those moments when God would speak to our hearts.  We speed along in our days in pursuit of finding purpose.  Yet, we never seem to consider that if we stop to examine God’s word and allow it to speak into our lives, we could actually have our own “burning bush moment”.  Is He drawing you closer so He can give you a directive…..some instructions?  Don’t ignore the burning bush of God’s Word.  Take time to spend with your Creator and the instructions He has left you. Listen for His whisper in your heart as He gives you direction.  Get ready to take the steps He will guide if you take on the mission He gives you.  It will be a life changing adventure.