Message: In Exodus 3, Moses encountered God in the burning bush. Something that caught my attention was that God didn’t just plop that burning bush right in front of Moses. The bush was near Moses but caught his attention because he saw that it was burning but not consumed so he went over to it to investigate. When God saw Moses approach the bush, that is when he called his name and spoke. He didn’t call out to Moses when he saw the bush. He waited for Moses to come close, and he spoke to him then.
Command: Don’t just observe the presence of God. Approach, come closer and engage.
Promise: If we choose to come close and approach God when we see him at work he will speak to us.
Warning: An encounter with God is our choice. We can observe the presence of God and walk right on by without pressing in. If we do this we will observe the beauty of seeing that God is there but we will miss the engagement of hearing what God has to say to us.
Application: It’s not enough to just sense that God is near and acknowledge his presence. God has things to say to us and he wants us to press in and come close. This is not just in moments of worship, but as I read this I thought about my devotional time. There was a time (and still are times) when I would just read. Reading is good and it gets the word of God in your heart, but there is something very powerful about engaging God in it. When I started writing in response to what I read some powerful things started happening. I saw and heard things that I didn’t see or hear when I just read. Writing and even just talking to God out loud about what I read opens up a dialog with God that is more than just a one way conversation. I have found that if I ask questions God will speak and Holy Spirit will reveal things not only then but throughout the rest of God when I choose to engage.
