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Listen while you read: "O Breath Of Life"1
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The forests of eastern Ontario are susceptible to fires in the hot summer months, especially if there has been a drought. The usual fire ban prohibits campfires and the burning of brush; even a cigarette butt tossed aside can ignite the forest. Most dreaded are lightning strikes, which are so unpredictable. From one such strike, my sister-in-law saw a plume of smoke billowing from the trees, while she was out on the lake in a boat. The fire rangers were there, however, to extinguish the blaze quickly.
The prophet Moses also witnessed such a fire.
Exodus 3:1-4 – One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn't burn up. "This is amazing," Moses said to himself. "Why isn't that bush burning up? I must go see it." 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. (NLT)
Moses, once a prince of Egypt, became a refugee because of a murder that he had committed. He was led to the family of the priest of Midian, lived among God-fearing people, and worked for his father-in-law for forty years as a simple shepherd of flocks not even his own, in a desert wilderness. One day, he led his flocks to the mountain of God. Apparently, spontaneous combustion of resinous desert vegetation is not uncommon, but the burning bush that Moses saw was not being burnt up, and it ignited his curiosity. He turned aside from his work to investigate, in amazement. Interestingly, God didn't speak until Moses paid attention and came closer. With the God of Israel, he had a face-to-face meeting, which would not only transform his own life, but also change the course of history. Even though he had been forgotten by the world, so it seemed, Moses was not forgotten by God.
When you feel forgotten, finding yourself in a wilderness, and wondering what has become of your life, remember that you are precious to God and that He will guide your steps if you listen and come close to Him. The burning bush is the symbol of The Presbyterian Church in Canada, signifying that the people of God may be under attack and afraid, but not destroyed, because God is in our midst. Don't be afraid to approach Him, the Holy One, in reverence and thanksgiving, for His salvation and guidance throughout your life.
Prayer: Thank You, O Lord, for Your revelation of Yourself to Moses, and to us through Your holy Word. We praise You because we are precious to You and guided through our lives by Your wisdom and provision. Amen.
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About the author:
Shirley Moulton <shirley_moulton@yahoo.ca>
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Thank you for your message.
Thanks for the good word, Shirley.
Great reminder. Thanks and blessings, Shirley!
Well said, Shirley. A great summary and interpretation. Helps me today. Keep writing.
Thank you, Shirley,
This is a wonderful reminder that we all need to hear from time to time.
Grace and Peace to you on this day.
Good morning Shirley
You are so right, we may be under attack from inside forces as well as outside, but we will not be destroyed.
Thank you for your good words.
My prayer of response: “LORD, a good reminder that at all times and in all circumstances, I, we, are still your beloved children and loved with a vast love beyond our comprehension. Thank you! Praise my soul the King of heaven”.
Blessings.
Very interesting observation about God not speaking until Moses drew near; and also, about the fire being a symbol of the Presbyterian Church of Canada. May the Lord strengthen ALL churches in Biblical Truth and knowledge of our LORD and SAVIOUR. Thank you, Shirley, for this info/reflection.
Hello Shirley,
Thank you for another of your very meaningful and heartfelt devotionals. Yes, our Saviour has created each of us uniquely, therefore we are precious to Him. He deserves our never-ending praise for His constant care and guidance in our everyday lives.
Blessings for these writings you do.
Good morning Shirley,
How true it is at this time that some of us are questioning where God is now that this pandemic is happening around the world and many good people are dying. Why would he let that happen? In our own lives at times, we wonder if God has forgotten us because our prayers go unanswered. In our hearts we know that God is always there for us, and he has a plan that we can’t understand but our minds sometimes run away with other thoughts. When we spend time drawing closer to God through prayer, reading his Word, listening we can calm our minds and our heart can reach out to the Holy Spirit to calm us, so our faith grows.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Moses’s journey and reminding us to draw near to God and “to be still and know that I am God”. May, when we look at the images of the burning bush, we focus on drawing closer to God. May you have many blessings.
I loved your devotion. Thank you.
Blessings.
Good image to carry through this day.
“Nec tamen consumebator”
Church of Scotland just finished electing a new moderator. They’ve come up with 5 “marks” of the church; seems to be regeneration going on! All good!
Bless you Shirley for setting our hearts on fire!
(BC)
Dear Shirley,
You are one of my favorite PresbyCan writers, and I know I’ll have a good devotional to read whenever I see your name. Thanks for your encouraging thoughts in this one.