By Judy Villanueva

Exodus 3:3-8


Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”

Moses was working. He was about the business of a normal day when he encountered God. I doubt he was expecting to meet an angel on route to the west side of the wilderness, let alone in the middle of a blazing fire! One thing is certain, Moses was available to notice an extraordinary phenomena and curious to move in for a closer look! “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.” How often am I too busy to notice an invitation from God to come close and be curious?

God is always speaking from the middle of our lives with invitations to be with Him and learn from Him. Our part is to stay available and curious…ready to move in for a closer look!

God saw that Moses had turned aside to look and called to him. Does God watch and wait for us to turn aside and look for him so that He can talk with us? Does He know when we are available to hear Him call our name? You may think that burning bushes are not a common phenomena in our day, but think about it. If burning bushes are things in life meant to draw our attention to God then, very likely they await our notice every day. What kinds of things in your day are quietly unique, unexpected and “shining” in their ordinary-ness? Likewise, where is your place of angst, the thing that burns whenever you think of it? Admittedly, we are more drawn to move toward a pleasant thing, but…

If God is able to speak from the center of “whatever thing,” then noticing and turning toward His voice becomes holy ground embedded in ordinary days!

My burning bushes this week included catching sight of the full moon sitting atop a craggy ridge, soaking up the joy of a 6 month old and kneeling in prayer next to the “bushes” over which I feel angst. These may seem too trivial to “count,” but counting the life that is ours…the life around us…is what we have, and it matters.  Not only that, but  moving toward burning bushes helps us hear what God is saying to us from the middle of our lives…about hope and life and promised lands.

“Father, I thank you that You see me and call to me from the middle of my life. Help me to notice the burning bushes that you’ve set along my path and make me curious enough to move in for a closer look. Help me to join You on holy ground and be available to hear whatever you want to say to me about my life. Amen.”

What about you?

Are you aware of a burning bush in your life at this time? Do you think God might be calling to you from the middle of it?

Are you curious and available for a closer look?

Are you open to hear God what God will say next?

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