In my childhood home, we had a woodburning fireplace. The cold winter evenings became so cozy when my dad would light a fire. I loved the smell of the burning wood, the crackle and pop as trapped steam burst open from an ignited log, the warmth filling the room as the fire grew hotter. To my delight, my dad would sometimes sprinkle powder on the wood, which would then color the flames in greens and blues. I was mesmerized as I watched the fire flicker, but then eventually I would have to move aside so my dad could add more wood. Below the grate, a heap of ashes collected from the burning wood. The wood had been consumed.

As he tended his father-in-law’s sheep one day, Moses drew near to Horeb, the mountain of God, also known as Mount Sinai. In taking care of the flock, he led a quiet life, but all that was about to change. His attention was caught by a burning bush, but the impossibility of what he saw drew him near for a closer look. Leaves and branches held fire, but the bush remained whole. Burning, yet ashes failed to collect below. The bush was not consumed. This impossible happening had caught his attention, but then God grabbed His attention as He spoke from the bush.

“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.” (Exodus 3:4-6)

God was there in the impossible about to give Moses a task he would feel impossible. Removing his sandals, Moses stood with barren feet before the holy Lord. A meeting place with God. This was the first time, yet this would not be the only time Moses would meet with God on this mountain. It would also not be the only time God would discuss the plight of His people, the children of Israel.

God had heard the cries of His people. He knew the daily suffering they faced, and He had come down to rescue them. He knew His rescue plan and the way He wanted to go about it, and this included Moses. As God revealed His plan, Moses began to shrink away in his heart. His response to his role brought to surface the fears and doubts from the past years as Moses questioned, “Who am I?”

For many years Moses had experienced palace life, but he now accepted a different life, a quiet life. He was a changed man, no longer the bold, brash man he was in Egypt. No longer the confident man who stood up for a wrong and killed an Egyptian. His wrong had changed him. His wandering in the wilderness caring for sheep had prepared him for this moment. He just didn’t know it, yet God did. Where he felt inadequate, God said he was more than adequate. Though Moses had no self-confidence, God knew all Moses needed was His confidence. With the plan in place, God assured Moses.

“He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” (Exodus 3:12)

Life is so full of ups and downs. We think we are in such a good place doing what we should be doing. We are making a difference, developing relationships, growing and flourishing, even with some difficulties along the way. But then it all unravels. We make mistakes. We lose ourselves, who we are, what we are doing, our purpose. We settle in the quiet life where it is safe, where we can lick our wounds and try to figure things out. We go about our business but stop putting ourselves out there. We keep in the comfortable and secure, doing only what we know we can handle. We stay with what we know is possible and what we see. God, however, is using all the ups and downs of life to shape and mold us, preparing us for what seems impossible, what we think we cannot do. He promises His presence in His purpose, and in moving forward in His impossible, we see He has made it possible.

God may ask you to do what you feel is impossible in your eyes. You may feel you do not have what it takes. But He is only asking you for a willing heart. He is asking you to remember who you are, because of who He is. He is asking you to trust Him. He will help you accomplish all He created you to do to fulfill the purpose He has established for you. He’s asking you to remember a burning bush not consumed, a Father who promises His love and presence. He is asking you to go and promises “I will be with you.”

In His Love,

Susan