Marjorie’s Column | Time For Worship

Marjorie Adams has written a book called “Come sit with Me awhile” and we will feature an additional chapter from time to time. ( All scriptures, except where stated are taken from the New King James Bible.)

Chapter 8 CAN YOU HEAR ME?

Exodus 3: 2-4

“So 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’” {3-4}

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Moses was tending a flock of sheep for his father-in-law in the land of Midian. In earlier years, fearing for his life, he had fled from Egypt and married a Midianite named Zipporah. The full details of this can be read in Exodus 2: 11-25.

One morning, he was leading the flock to the ‘back of the desert’, close to Horeb, the ‘mountain of God.’

“And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold the bush burned with fire, but the bush was not consumed. “Then Moses said, ‘I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.’ “ {3 :2-3}

Moses made that choice; he did turn aside to give attention to the burning bush and, in so doing, came into God’s presence. He drew aside from the day’s planned activities and from his own thoughts, and made himself available for God to speak to him.

Notice that God didn’t speak to Moses and call him by name until Moses made the choice to turn aside to see.

“…when the Lord saw that he {Moses} turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am’ {3:4}.

Then, and only then did God speak to him, calling him by name and making His Presence known, revealing that He, God, was indeed right there to fellowship with Moses.

Have we sometimes thought – ‘Is this God trying to get my attention?’ If so, do we choose to ‘turn aside’ to see? – turn aside from the day’s distractions and give our attention to look and to listen expectantly for His personal communion.

Let’s just think a moment; if Moses had given a sideways glance at the burning bush and passed on his way, thinking ‘I’ve got the day planned’, or ‘I’ve got too much to do just now’, engrossed in his own thoughts and plans it could have been so different. But he chose to behold and so didn’t miss God’s personal and life-changing communication.

Having said this, how thankful we can be for God’s mercy and grace, and the fact that He is lovingly and patiently working in our hearts to strengthen our trust in Him and our love for Him. Little by little, God is working to make us more like Jesus in a continual work of grace.

Prayer:

Oh dear Father, may I choose to ‘turn aside’ daily to listen to what You have to say to me through your Word and, in quiet thoughtfulness reflect on Your beauty. May I look and listen and so receive Your personal life-changing communication, bringing me to “grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18}. Amen

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