The Call in the Midst of the Noise
By Dean Collins
Have you noticed that cell phones tend to ring almost everywhere you go? How many times have you been in a meeting, a wedding, a funeral, a church service, the middle of dinner, or in the middle of some leisure moment when you hear the phone ring? You might have silenced your phone, but it seems that many friends do not know how to silence their phones!
I suppose our phones ring because at every moment of every day someone has a need. It might be a crisis, or it might be simply because someone wants to share a funny story or a bit of gossip. If we could see the grand matrix of communication that goes on in every moment across the globe, it would be impossible to comprehend. While technology continues to invade our lives and our privacy in increasing measures, it is only our Heavenly Father who sees all things, knows all things, and is working to renew and restore all things. He knows the big picture, and centuries ago he launched his grand plan to fix what mankind broke in the garden of Eden.
Just as we cannot comprehend the massive amount of communication that goes on in the world in a given moment in time, we fail to see all that God is doing in, through, and beyond our constant communication with each other. It is often that God nudges, calls, and directs us towards opportunities to serve when we least expect it. And in order to get our attention, God often uses situations, people, dreams, and even the unexplainable so that he can guide us toward acts of service that can change us and bring transformation and blessing to others.
Moses had moved on from his royal life in Egypt and had taken a job in the family business of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. Being the younger man in the family business, Jethro had sent Moses to the west side of the wilderness at Horeb, the mountain of God. It was there that God caught the curiosity of Moses at a bush that was burning brightly but never turned to ashes. There was no sign of this fire spreading the way the horrible fires of Los Angeles recently did. Filled with amazement, Moses turned away from the sheep to investigate this mysterious burning bush.
Isolated in the wilderness, with the full attention of Moses on the flaming bush, God spoke to Moses. Mesmerized by the fire and by the voice of God, Moses responded with three simple words, words worth memorizing: “Here I am.”
Just as we don’t understand all the human communication that happens in any moment, nor the millions of ways that God is moving in any given moment, we also do not see or understand the timeless nature of God. We are bound by our watches, calendars, and phones, but God works above, through, and beyond our concept of time.
In the timeless moment of a burning bush, God chose to call Moses to a deeper understanding of his presence, his holiness, and there for Moses to begin a new journey. It was a journey where God would reveal to Moses that he had not forgotten the Hebrew people. God called Moses to a partnership that would result in freedom for those Moses had left behind years earlier. We cannot run from our past. God often will use our past to teach us more about himself and more about ourselves in the process.
Moses had many questions. When God redirects our steps, we may have questions as well. But in the end, when we surrender to God’s call we discover his presence, his grace, and his blessings in ways far beyond what we could have ever imagined.
Father, we confess that we don’t often notice that you are at work around us. In our stubbornness we sometimes choose to ignore your call. Forgive us. Today we listen for your voice as we pray and read your word. Today we want to be led by you. Today we say, “Here I am.” Direct our paths. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
Exodus 3:1-22 ESV
Photo by Adonyi Gábor
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