September 20th - Exodus 3:4

Exodus 3:4 When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” “Here I am!” Moses replied. Moses’ life was remarkable. He was born in Egypt when the people of Israel were in slavery there, and Pharaoh had gone to extraordinary lengths to kill off all Israelite baby boys. Moses had miraculously survived and was brought up as a member of Pharaoh’s household. Years later he saw one of his own Israelite people being abused and, in his anger, killed the perpetrator. Moses soon recognised that his own life was in danger and so he fled from the country. He got married to Zipporah and in our reading today we find him looking after his father-in-law’s sheep. The life of a shepherd was a tough one. The heat could be intense and Moses continually needed to be alert to the threat from wolves and other wild animals. Much of what happened was familiar and predictable. However, in the midst of his working day he was suddenly aware of a burning bush. That in itself was not a big surprise, because such things can happen in the intense heat of the desert sun. But what drew his attention was that the bush didn’t burn up. As he inspected the bush more closely he suddenly heard the voice of God from the middle of the bush. This was a life-changing moment for Moses, and it happened on a normal working day. It reminds us that we always need to be ready to hear the voice of God, however ordinary and unremarkable our day might seem to be. It’s very tempting to think that God will choose to speak to us in the middle of a church service, or at a Christian festival or while on spiritual retreat – and he might! But the experience of many people through the years is that God often speaks to us amid the ordinary circumstances of our lives. The challenge to us is to be alert so that we hear God whenever he chooses to speak with us. Question Are you open to the fact that God might speak to you today? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the way in which you speak. Give me ears to hear your voice amid all the busyness and distractions of my daily life. Amen