Loving God of the journey, travel with the life and needs of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our text for today comes from Exodus 3: 1 Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the west end of the wilderness and came to the mountain of God, Horeb. 2 The angel of God appeared to him in flames of fire blazing out of the middle of a bush. He looked. The bush was blazing away but it didn't burn up. 3 Moses said, "What's going on here? I can't believe this! Amazing! Why doesn't the bush burn up?" 4 God saw that he had stopped to look. God called to him from out of the bush, "Moses! Moses!" He said, "Yes? I'm right here!" 5 God said, "Don't come any closer. Remove your sandals from your feet. You're standing on holy ground." 6 Then he said, "I am the God of your father: The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob." Moses hid his face, afraid to look at God. 7 God said, "I've taken a good, long look at the affliction of my people in Egypt. I've heard their cries for deliverance from their slave masters; I know all about their pain. 8 And now I have come down to help them, pry them loose from the grip of Egypt, get them out of that country and bring them to a good land with wide-open spaces, a land lush with milk and honey, the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 9 "The Israelite cry for help has come to me, and I've seen for myself how cruelly they're being treated by the Egyptians. 10 It's time for you to go back: I'm sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the People of Israel, out of Egypt." 11 Moses answered God, "But why me? What makes you think that I could ever go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?" 12 "I'll be with you," God said. "And this will be the proof that I am the one who sent you: When you have brought my people out of Egypt, you will worship God right here at this very mountain." 13 Then Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the People of Israel and I tell them, 'The God of your fathers sent me to you'; and they ask me, 'What is his name?' What do I tell them?" 14 God said to Moses, "I-AM-WHO-I-AM. Tell the People of Israel, 'I-AM sent me to you.'" 15 God continued with Moses: "This is what you're to say to the Israelites: 'God, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob sent me to you.' This has always been my name, and this is how I always will be known. (The Message)
You called me just so I can end up here? God has a wonderful and sometimes unexplainable plan for your life. And yes, sometimes it doesn't make sense to us, but that's all right because it makes sense to God for God's purposes. I heard of a man who during World War II decided he would sign up to do his part for his country and see the world at the same time. He was from a small town here in Texas, south of here, Bishop, Texas. He was sent to San Antonio, Texas, to train and when fully trained was sent to Kingsville for the duration of the war. For those who don't know Texas, Kingsville is 5 miles south of Bishop. Moses, newlywed and working for his father-in-law, is also a fugitive from the law. He had murdered someone in Egypt and now a strange call from God comes from a burning bush. The bush was not consumed by the fire but it served its purpose, that of calling Moses towards it so that God could call Moses. The voice of God tells Moses that God has heard the prayers of the people and God was going to set them free using Moses and that when this liberation took place God would be worshiped on the same spot that Moses stood. You and I would probably have said, Hmmm. Moses almost did and said something similar in his response and several times during this faithful service to God. As probably you have during your life of service to God, you've had those days when you've wondered just why you said yes to God to begin with; yet at the right moment you've said, Thanks be to God!
May today be one of those days when the bright light of assurance and blessing breaks through the dark and gloom of doubt. May God share a revelation with you today about your life and purpose. And may we all be ready to receive it.
PRAYER: Loving God, may today be the day of blessing and assurance for my life; may I walk with You in a way that will speak to me about faithful devotion and service to You; I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
