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 3:4 NIV
The first 3 verses of this chapter explain that Moses was tending to his father-in-law’s sheep when he saw this miraculous sight of a bush that was on fire but did not seem to be consumed by the fire. His curiosity won out and he goes up to the area where the bush that is on fire but not being consumed is located. It is at that point when the Lord calls out to Moses by name.
Think about that for a moment. First very odd, very strange thing is a burning bush that is not being consumed by the fire. Second very odd, very strange thing is a voice coming out of that same bush. Third very odd, very strange thing is that the voice knows his name. Moses is a lot calmer about this than I would have been, he is a lot braver about this than I would have been and he is a lot more willing than I would have been to stand there.
My response may have been to look around for who was messing with me, run away, yell out of fear or possibly even faint. Not Moses, he stands there and says ‘Here I am’. That is someone who is willing. However, if you know anything about Moses’s story than you know that as the conversation with God continues that Moses goes from a person who was willing to stand in the presence of God at the burning bush to someone who begins to question his ability to do what God is asking him to do.
I believe that a lot of us have that moment of willingness to answer God’s call, but for some of us, that willingness fades fast as we learn of the details of God’s plan. For some of us that willingness fades because we cannot seem to see the details of God’s plan or at least enough of the details to keep us calm. Willingness can be hard and what God is asking you or I to do may be hard as well, but God knows things we do not know. The one thing that we do know is that God will be with us each step of the way as we go through the event, circumstance, trial or challenge that God is calling us to go through.
I have friends who are Officers in the Salvation Army and are required to move to new appointments every so many years. This is hard on the people in the congregation as we say ‘good-bye’ or at least ‘see you later’ to our friends who are leaving and say ‘hello’ to the new officer as they arrive. However, I do not believe that this is not as hard for us as it can be for them. We are staying in the same home we have been in, staying in the same town that we have been in and staying with the same group of people we have been with, where they are going to a new home, new town and to meet a new group of people.
Yesterday we said those ‘good-byes’ or ‘see you laters’ to our friends as they moved from our church to their next church appointment. It was not easy for us but I know that it was harder for them to leave what they have known for the last several years and go out into the unknown. But as I said, they are Officers, which in the Salvation Army means that they are pastors who know that God walks with them each step of the way.
They are willing to do what God has asked them to do. Are you willing? Willing to do what God asks you to do.