April 8, 2021 — Stopping To Look At Burning Bushes

“I had another opportunity last night to hear how a neighbor came to faith,” Stan began one morning.  “It was a great encouragement to me to be like Moses.”

“Be like Moses?” I replied.  “What’s that mean?”

“You remember the story of Moses and the burning bush?”

“A little,” I said.

“Quick recap.” Stan replied.  “Moses was in the wilderness tending sheep.  He saw a bush that was on fire and noticed that the fire was not consuming the bush.  He stopped and took a closer look.”

“So?”

“That’s when God spoke to him out of the burning bush.  Who knows where we would be if Moses hadn’t stopped to take a closer look.”

“Okay,” I replied, “but how does that relate to anything concerning you?”

“My neighbor recounted coming to faith.  He had the sense that God was opening him to want to know Him.  He said that one day he was in a book store looking at some Christian books to try to get a handle on what he was sensing about God.  And that’s when it happened.”

“What happened?”

“Someone who was also in the bookstore, who ‘just happened’ to be in the same aisle looking at Christian books, saw my neighbor and asked him, ‘Can I help you with anything?’”

Continuing, he said, “Because that man saw my neighbor and responded to God’s leading to stop and see how he might be involved in what God was doing, my neighbor eventually came to faith.  My neighbor opened up to the man about what he was sensing, but didn’t know what to do about it.  They ended up spending time together, not only that day, but in days to follow when my neighbor came to faith.”

“All because the one man stopped to take a closer look at what God had for him to look at?”

“That’s it,” Stan replied.  “And it makes me realize that there are ‘burning bushes’ all over the place if I will just stop and take a look!”

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Bible verses to consider:

So Moses said, “I must turn aside now, and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.”  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.”  Exodus 3:3-4.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”  Then I said, “Here am I.  Send me!”  Isaiah 6:8.

Prayer:  Thank you, Father, that you have “burning bushes” for me to see.  I confess that too often I do not stop to take a closer look at what you may be doing.  And because I don’t stop to look, I miss opportunities to see what you are doing and I miss being able to be involved with what you are doing.  I ask you to open me to see and to follow your lead in stopping to look at what you have for me so I can and will be involved in accordance with your will.  Please help me in taking my eyes off of myself and what I want to do apart from you so I will stop and look.  Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Think on this:  God has “burning bushes” for us to stop and look at more closely.  Do you agree with that?  Why or why not?  Have you ever stopped to look more closely at what God had for you see?  If so, what was that like?  Looking back, have there been times when you did not stop to take a closer look?  If so, what might have been different if you had stopped?  If you want to be open to stopping to look at the “burning bushes” God has for you, how do you think that can happen?