With the exception of Jesus, I feel like I remember more Bible stories about Moses than any other person. He led quite a life! The Exodus story of Moses encountering God in the burning bush sets off a chain of events that would change the course of history yet starts innocently enough. While tending a flock of sheep, Moses sees a bush on fire -- by all accounts, literally on fire. If that wasn't unusual enough, Moses realizes that even though it's on fire, it's not actually burning up. Curious, he comes in for a closer look, and God calls out to him from the bush and tells Moses to go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
While there are many memorable images and words spoken from this chapter, a simple phrase caught my attention. "... the Lord appeared to him [Moses] in a flame of fire out of a bush ..."
A bush
. I noticed it did not say that this was the most ornamental flowering bush in all the land; not the largest, healthiest bush in the wilderness; not a rare bush of great value. Just a bush.
This feels like yet another example of God using the regular, the mundane, the boring, the overlooked to do life-altering, mind-bending, heart-expanding things. When God tells Moses he will go save the Israelites, Moses responds like I know I would, too. "Who am I that I should go to Pharoah and bring the Isaelistes out of Egypt?"
Who am I
, indeed! Have you ever felt that way? I know I have felt not worthy of a task at hand -- frankly, even moments writing this Daily Inspiration I have had doubts if I'm the right person for the job. Who am I to talk about the Bible? Who am I to try to teach or inspire? I'm not qualified, not smart enough, not worldly enough, not good enough, not faithful enough, not strong enough ... just keep filling in the blanks. But if those are the qualifications, it begs the question,
Who are ANY of us to do the work of God, to answer a calling, to believe God is working for and through us?
God saw a simple bush for a big job and thought, "Perfect." God saw a simple man for a big job and thought, "Perfect." I'm thinking God doesn't choose the perfect people to do the work but instead chooses the perfect work for the people. What is your burning bush right now? What is something God may have put on your heart that isn't going away?
Dear God, You appear to us in so many ways. Help us to recognize when it's you and to turn, look, and listen.
Deanna Heise
