Wednesday, December 3. (Block: Burning Bush) 

Exodus 3:1–6 - Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Moses has now spent 40 years in Midian. It’s been pretty quiet compared to his prior life. It’s ordinary days of tending sheep, no political intrigue, no palace drama. The wilderness for Moses had become routine and maybe even predictable. 

And then Moses sees something strange. God breaks into the silence of the wilderness with fire! 

The burning bush shows us God’s grace, he moves toward us, he calls to us, even when we are just simply existing (getting by) in the wilderness. Moses wasn’t searching for God or planning to be a rescuer, but God comes for Moses. It’s the beginning of a wonderful rescue story! 

Sometimes our hearts feel dull and our prayers feel flat (or maybe like they don’t make it past the ceiling). This season is a reminder that God can ignite hope in the dryness of our wilderness. He calls us by name! 

John 1:9 - The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

Just as God appeared to Moses in the wilderness, God came to us, we’ll see it in the small town of Nazareth to the descendants of a difficult and broken family. We’ll see in the fields a group of surprised shepherds. We’ll see in the strange, distant east a group of Magi. And then, miraculously, in a manger! 

Where has life felt “ordinary” lately? How might God be calling us to notice His presence there?