Heaven Responds to Us
The angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So he thought, 'I will go over and see this strange sight - why the bush does not burn up.'
When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, 'Moses! Moses!' And Moses said, 'Here I am.'
Exodus 3:2-4
It can be easy at times to wonder why life doesn't have more clarity! Why are next steps sometimes so difficult to discern? You may have found yourself asking the question, 'Please God, just show me what you want me to do!' I know I have.
There are plenty of circumstances and choices in my own life that at the time I wish I had had more clarity on. Especially when in the middle of a difficult period, or facing a tough decision, we naturally just want everything to be made clear. But this rarely happens. When John Kavanaugh, the famous ethicist, met Mother Theresa in Calcutta and asked her to pray for clarity for him, her response was, "No, I will not do that." Her reason why? "Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to, and must let go of." She goes on to say, "I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you will trust God."
When we look at this interaction between God and Moses in Exodus 3, we see that God does not make things easy for Moses. He doesn't suddenly appear with a heavenly host, declaring His word to Moses; instead He uses the burning bush to draw Moses in, and draw his faith to the surface. Often that's how journeying with God works; instead of the big picture being revealed He offers us small steps of faith and trust.
But the wonderful thing about this scene in the bible is the sense of response, not just from Moses, but also from God. Do you ever think about God responding to you? Well, it happens. 'When the Lord saw that Moses had gone over to look, He called to him from within the bush.' This is incredible, life changing revelation! LIFE CHANGING! What would you do differently if you knew that heaven was responding to your decisions? Well heaven is responding! God is placing small steps of faith in front of each of us, daily; we have a choice as to whether we respond or not, but crucially when we make steps to trust and move toward what God is placing in front of us, heaven moves. We see it here in Exodus, we see it throughout the bible, stories of very ordinary people making small steps of faith. And we see heaven moving as a result.
You may be facing a lot of uncertainty right now. I know a lot of people are. It's tempting to want to know all the answers, to seek clarity before making a move. But know today that God is putting small steps of TRUST in front of you, not making everything clear but providing you with the next place to put your foot. Remember that Moses moved toward the burning bush, and then God spoke. It isn't that God only speaks and moves in our lives when we do things, it isn't dependent on us. But at the same time God has empowered us with choice and responsibility. Whether it's an opportunity to pray for someone, to give generously, to speak up or just simply listening to the Spirit when He asks us to take a detour home from the shops. You never know where that detour may lead. Heaven responded to Moses' faith and trust, and heaven responds to your faith today.