We live in a time where there is so much going on that it gets so hard to hear that “still small voice…” Events in our life come and go, never taking the time to determine if God was trying to get our attention.
Exodus 3:1-5 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
1.The Circumstances
Exodus 3:1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
- Does Life sometimes find you on the backside of the desert?
- Take a little walk through Moses History in Acts 7 you’ll find a man who has fallen from greatness.
2. The Event
Exodus 3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
- If God wants to give us a message, He first must get our attention.
- Looking at these passages we find that the burning bush was NOT the message from God, but just the event that He used to get Moses attention.
- If we look at events in our life we will find 2 types:
- The Angel appearing out of the flame of the bush was meant to effect Moses spiritually. He then could make a descision to turn to see (action), or continue on (with no action)
- By that same token God may use events in our life spiritually to see if it would produce an Physical action.
1. Car Accident
3. The Action
Exodus 3:3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
- Notice “I” will now turn aside. Moses action was personal and immediate.
- Moses acted (physical) to a spiritual (internal) change of an event that God placed in his path.
- He could have said “ wasn’t that odd” He could have sent someone else to go see what it was.
4. God’s Re-action
Exodus 3:4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
- Only AFTER God saw Moses turn to find the truth of the event did God speak to him.
- When God called, He called PERSONALLY. “Moses, Moses.”
- When God called, He called IMMEDIATELY.
- We find Moses humbled before God and ready to receive the message. “Here am I.”
5. The Result
Exodus 3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
- Now Moses gets the Message “ We know the rest of the story”
- What about us?
6. Conclusion
- God uses events in our life to get our attention. (Note: I didn’t say causes events)
- How we spiritually discern these events will either produce only an emotion, or and emotion that leads to an action.
- Our response to the event must be personal and immediate.
- Once we turn to get the message, we must go the distance, there may be a mountain to climb.
- When we have committed to the task we will find God’s response personal and immediate.
- The Goal? Holy Ground.
- God’s message will be received humbly, then we can say, “Here am I.”