How to deal with a burning bush

Imagine. You go out into your back garden, possibly to drop some rubbish into the big bin, and to your utter shock you see that one of your bushes in the garden is fully aflame! What would your reaction be? Certainly panic would be my first port of call. But what if you noticed that the plant itself wasn't being consumed, or burnt up, by the fire: It was simply burning away contently. Would that not intrigue you?

'There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn't burn up.' - Exodus 3 v 2

One of my favourite stories from the Old Testament! It's a great lesson about God speaking to us; one that we often forget or struggle to apply. We've all heard the story before, but don't close the browser just quite yet. Read on, possibly see something in a new light and hopefully be challenged.

There are 3 main things that I would like to pull out of this passage in Exodus:
Drawing close / Being willing / Then hearing.


Number one.
'When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, "Moses! Moses!"' - v4

Reading this passage I noticed how God didn't speak until He saw Moses coming closer. I think this is very true for us today too. Of course God can speak to anyone and at any time, but I feel that a common frustration for Christians today is that they feel like God never speaks to them. I pray and pray, but I get no answer. Right? I find myself in that situation constantly. Remembering this lesson from Moses though is key to understanding perhaps why. Before God even says a word in this passage, Moses had to draw close to the bush first. For us today, I believe that we also need to draw close to God before we will hear His voice. As cliché as it sounds, we need to be taking our time with God every day; reading the Bible, praying and being in His presence. Without this, it's not only unlikely that God will speak to us but also unlikely that we will hear Him if He does. The further we are from someone, the harder it is to hear them speaking, right?


Number two.
'"Here I am!" Moses replied' - v4

Be willing! When God calls your name, and speaks to you, will you be ready? I think the first thing that many of us do, including myself, is that when we feel close to God and are in a good place with Him, then we pull out our long list of questions and prayer requests. It's not wrong in itself of course not! Praying and asking for God's help is good. But sometimes we don't find a good balance. We need just as much listening as we do talking in our time with our Father. That's a relationship; talking and listening, not just one way communication. I learnt a lot from those three simple words from Moses - Here I Am. So overlooked, yet so vital. We need to be saying to God on a daily basis "Here I am". For you God; your plans and your glory, use me however you want.

Number three.
'Then the Lord told him...'

Then! The most important word in the whole passage for me personally! Not first, or immediately, but then. Moses drew close, Moses presented himself willing, and THEN God told him what to do! I know for me, and for many of us, we simply expect God to direct every step of our lives. Showing us clear signs for what path to take, and speaking in a booming voice to tell us what to do. How often do we actually draw close to God first, tell Him we're willing to be used for His will and not our own. It's important to know also that this needs to be a lifestyle, an everyday ritual. It's unlikely, and a little selfish, if I wake up tomorrow doing this and then expecting God to speak. Becoming close with someone takes time. Showing faith and patience by being close with God every day is needed usually before God will THEN tell you what to do.


Thank you for reading as always. Like it and share it, and tell others about it. If you feel challenged or encouraged then that's great, please let me know too so I can rejoice with you in that or even chat further! People have told me how God has spoke to them already in previous blogs and that's what it's all about. It's a channel for God to speak through. Hopefully He has spoken again through this one. Be blessed until next time.

"Our failure to hear His voice when we want to is due to the fact that we do not in general want to hear it, that we want it only when we think we need it." - Dallas Willard. Hearing God.