Unleashed: As You Go – Pray

“There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush, he looked, and the bush was blazing yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight.” Exodus 3:2-3

What should I do? Making hard decisions is never easy. You go through inner turmoil trying to figure out what to do or how to do it or is it really right for me. You look at multiple options and finally come down to what you think is the best. Then you may live with the “only if” questioning for days, months or maybe years. How often have  you said if only you could have a burning bush clarity. The thought of a burning bush experience seems like a fantastic way to know, yet there is a cost to burning bush experiences.

• Burning bushes will necessitate worship:

You can’t play religion if you want to get close to the burning bush. You can be curious and “turn aside and look.” You can ponder why “the bush is not burned up” but burning bushes require you to “remove the sandals from your feet.” Religious people find a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. You worship at the burning bush because you know “the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

• Burning bushes create questions:

“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” God welcomes questions, the more the better. Samuel asked “How can I go? Saul will kill me.” (1 Samuel 16:2)   Mary asked, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34) Peter knew enough to question, “By no means, LORD; for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean.” (Acts 10:14) Questions will come at the burning bush but “The Samuels” go, “The Marys” obey, and “The Peters” follow.

• Burning bushes destroy the edges of one’s comfort zone:

“I have never been eloquent…I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” Comfort zone living is a lot easier. We can be content in the world we know and don’t have to push the edges. Yet somehow God doesn’t see our self-limitations. So, you don’t think you can speak? God has the answer, “Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak.”

• Burning bushes will burn away the undergrowth of yesterday’s failures:

“When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses.” You may have lived in palaces, studied at the best schools, had an unlimited bank account but you blew it. A nasty divorce, a horrendous scandal, a horrible financial mistake. Guess what? God calls your name and gives you another job. “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” God reminds you, “I think I can handle your past!”

• Burning bushes do have a cost:

Moses had to go but also “Moses took his wife and his sons, put them on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt.” Jethro watched as his son-in-law, daughter and grandsons left for the mission field. Hannah cried as she left little Samuel at the temple. Jesus’ body torn to shreds, nailed to the cross, cried out in agony, “It is finished.” Yes, there is a cost when you respond to God’s call in your life yet “God never leaves you nor forsakes you.”

• Burning bushes do make a difference:

“God wants to lead us. Not all the ways of humans are God’s leading. For a long time, we can walk our own paths. On those we are pawns of coincidence, whether they bring good luck or misfortune. Our own ways always lead in a circle back to ourselves. But when God leads our ways, they guide us to him. God’s ways guide us to God. God leads us through happiness and unhappiness always and only towards God. In this we recognize God’s ways.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

Moses led a nation out of slavery heading for a new land. Esther saved a nation from mass annihilation. The widow of Zarephath fed her household. David stood in front of a giant to unite a nation. The disciples fish net was overflowing. Jesus stood at the front of an empty tomb declaring victory over death!

Maybe we will not have as dramatic of a burning bush experience as Moses but we do have our burning bush. God has provided Scripture to be “a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.” (Ps 119:105), Jesus has come who “will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” (Is 9:6) and daily “God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.” (IThess 4:8b).

The question becomes, “Do you choose to turn away or stand on holy ground?”

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.” (2 Cor 13:14)

God is great!

Pastor Lynn