As always, I begin my reading time with a selection from My Utmost For His Highest, by Oswald Chambers. In today's reading, he says that this is "the central citadel of obstinacy: I will not give up my right to myself--the thing God intends you to give up if ever you are going to be a disciple of Jesus Christ." OUCH!! We are certainly a society that is all caught up in our "rights." And to give those up...may be one of the most difficult things we are ever called to do as believers.
Read
Exodus 3:1-6 (Aloud, again!)
This is the passage about Moses and the burning bush.
Think
The question is asked, When have I ever had a unique encounter with God, and what was my "burning bush" like? That's a tough question. I'm sure there have been unique encounters with God during my life. One that comes to mind is one that happened more than 20 years ago. I had recently gone through a divorce (a marriage that lasted only 5 years and ended when my wife decided that she liked girls instead), and had gone on a sort of retreat to my grandmother's house in east Texas. She lived out in the country, 5-6 miles from the closest town. It was a wonderfully secluded place with lots of room to wander around and commune with God. One day, I was out in front of the house, and I just simply asked God, "Am I really your child?" There were so many questions going through my mind, and I was at one of my all time lows in my life. Immediately after I asked that question, I felt as though the Almighty had reached down and given me the biggest hug I had ever had. The feeling of perfect love was such that I almost couldn't stand it. There wasn't a "burning bush," exactly, but right after that happened, I looked down on the ground, and there was the most beautiful blue bird feather laying at my feet. I picked it up and saved it as a reminder that God had, indeed, answered my question affirmatively.
The next question asks what it meant when God asked Moses to remove his shoes because he was standing on holy ground.
That's a tough one. I think it's because of the presence of God. Moses hid his face after God identified himself, because all good Hebrews knew that you couldn't look on the face of God, or it would kill you. Moses didn't actually see his face, but he was in the presence of absolute holiness. God simply wanted the acknowledgment of that holiness by having Moses remove his shoes. There is probably a better answer to that question by someone more theologically adept than I.
Finally, it says, "God is holy. What difference does that make in your life?"
Sadly, sometimes, it makes no difference at all. Which is, of course, just wrong. But most of the time, it makes me stand in awe of his holiness. He is holy, yet he chose to have communion with us, who are not holy. He raises us up (as the popular and most beautiful Josh Groban song says) even as he stoops down to meet us. The difference that it should make is that it should make me want to live in holy awe of him. It should make me want to live every day as a true disciple of his, giving up all rights to myself (as the Oswald Chambers reading referenced above said) and live solely for him. It should also make me want to spend every day in constant, intimate conversation with him. And that's one reason I am diving into this devotional book the way I am. I am desperate for this conversation. I am desperate for this intimacy with my Father. I have walked too long without it.
Pray
I am instructed to pray that God would reveal himself to me today in a fresh way, one in which he has never revealed himself before.
Live
I am instructed to find a quiet place and spend a few moments there, in utter silence, reflecting on, paying attention to, aspects of my life that often get neglected: people, situations, quiet moments, creation, and so on. And then to look for God waiting for me there.
God is holy. What difference does that make in your life?