Turn Aside

Sometimes we must step off our current path to meet God, experience his presence, and follow his plans. One of the clearest examples in the Bible is the burning bush in Exodus chapter 3. The chapter begins: “Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.”

This verse shows Moses faithfully managing his daily duties when God appeared. Moses likely expected just another ordinary day tending sheep. After 40 years in the wilderness, he probably thought his dream to save his people was out of reach. He did not expect to encounter God that day.

Like Moses, God's timing is seldom ours, and we can't predict life-changing encounters; they often occur suddenly. But when they do occur, we need to be ready to say, “Yes” in the moment. We should notice how Moses responded. Exodus 3:3 says, “And Moses said, 'I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.”

A critical lesson here is that Moses had to intentionally turn aside from his usual path to see the burning bush. This teaches us that encountering God often requires us to make a deliberate choice to respond and seek what He is revealing.

I believe God often tries to get our attention, but we must turn aside and seek what he is doing and saying. This may interrupt our daily plans, but following the Lord means staying in tune so we know when to act differently.

We all have “burning bush” moments in life. We may not see something as miraculous as a burning bush, but God still speaks in different ways to get our attention. God is calling us to come and see what he is doing and what he wants to do in our lives, but we must choose to turn aside and lean in. There’s always an action on our part.

Exodus 3:4 says, “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.” God did not call out from the bush to get Moses’s attention first. God reached out to Moses in a way that required Moses to take the initiative and take the first step of faith. It was an invitation for Moses to join God in the plans that he had set in motion and wanted to use Moses to accomplish.

It was during this encounter that God called Moses to deliver his people. Like Moses, our calling depends on paying attention to what God is doing in our lives and world. As we choose to turn aside and pursue him, he reveals the next steps he wants us to take.

Praying for you all!

Prayer: Father God, thank you for speaking to me and calling me into a deeper relationship with you. I know you are constantly speaking, and there have been times I have missed what you were saying. I ask your forgiveness and repent of not focusing on you and what you were trying to show me. Please continue to speak to me and give me discernment to know when you are speaking. I know, like Moses, you have plans for me, and I want to fulfill those plans to the fullest. I pray all these things in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Ryan