The scarlet leaves of a burning bush caught my attention on a walk with my dog the other day. It reminded me that God spoke to Moses through a real burning bush, one that was not consumed by flames (Exodus 3:1-4).
Is God still speaking to us today? How?
Where was Moses when the Lord caught his attention? In a desert region, minding his own business tending sheep.
Moses was about to face a seemingly impossible assignment—to demand that pharaoh let the Israelites, his slave labor force, go free. He felt totally unqualified for this God-sized assignment. Hence, the bush that flames could not destroy, and the voice of God that he could not ignore.
God spoke when Moses turned aside from what he was doing and paid attention to a miraculous sign.
Could God have assignments for us that require us to turn aside from our normal routine? Could He be trying to get our attention, but in a less spectacular way? Maybe with just an impression or a nudge?
Being very task-oriented, I’m usually laser-focused on my to-do lists, especially when food shopping. However, one day while looking in the vitamin/supplement section I noticed someone who looked puzzled at all the choices lining the shelves. I felt the slightest inclination to ask if I could help. I almost ignored it. But what if this were a nudge from God?
I approached. “May I help you?”
Soon we were discussing vitamins, and when she expressed a physical need I offered to pray for her. It confirmed that God had put me in the right place at the right time.
Big assignments like the one God gave Moses, might call for big signs to create faith to obey and persevere during testing. However, most assignments are much smaller in scale, requiring us to pay attention to impressions, nudges or a still small voice. They can easily be ignored if we don’t turn aside from what we are doing and pay attention to the Lord’s gentle promptings.
God is looking for us to make ourselves available to be His hands and feet. I’ve missed these subtle nudges many times, I’m sure.
Nudges like the one mentioned above prompted me to start writing “Help Someone” on my grocery list. It reminds me not to ignore the shoppers around me. It is teaching me to be sensitive to the Lord should He prompt me to turn aside from what I am doing.
Since then, I have prayed for healing for several people, assisted a tiny, elderly woman by retrieving an item on a top shelf and directed a shopper in a motorized cart to the correct aisle to find an item on her list. I have discovered that instead of being fearful of approaching strangers, these small assignments bless me with immense joy.
Could God be trying to get your attention, too?
Lord, sensitize us to turn aside from our routines and to respond to Your gentle promptings as we go about our daily busyness. Let us be Your hands and feet so that others will experience Your love and blessings. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
I would love to hear if you have had any similar experiences stepping out in faith.