From Forward Day by Day
Exodus 3:11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?
In the old Steve Martin movie The Man With Two Brains, a widowed doctor falls for one of his patients. Looking at the portrait of his dead wife, the man says, “If there’s anything wrong with my feelings for Delores, just give me a sign.” The painting whirls around, a wind blows wildly through the house, and a disembodied voice cries, “NOOOO!” The man pauses and then responds, “Just any sign at all…I’ll be on the lookout for it.” Then he puts the painting in the closet.
When God calls Moses to lead the children of Israel out of bondage, God speaks from a burning bush that the flames do not consume. Moses comes up with numerous logical reasons that God should really call someone else, but in the end, he complies with God’s choice. For all his reluctance, Moses never denies that the burning bush is a sign and that the voice is God’s.
I wonder how often we have dismissed burning bushes as ordinary brush fires. Our doing so might explain any number of missed opportunities. May we all recognize God’s voice when God speaks to us. May we listen to it willingly, even if we don’t like what God has to say.
