My mom passed away in October of 2022. During that time, I was in the process of grieving but also reading through my devotional. In particular I was in Exodus 3, which I had read several times before but this time I received new insight:
“Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.”
So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”
A few points stood out to me this time:
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- Moses saw a fire that was not consumed.
- Moses didn’t just walk on by but ‘turned aside’ to see why it was not consumed.
- God did not speak to Moses until he saw that he turned aside.
- God called Moses.
- Moses responded “here I am”.
My mom become a Christian somewhere in her late 40’s. That was when I saw her, and my dad, turn their lives around and start walking with God. Someone in her life influenced her, she saw the spiritual fire burning in their lives and she willfully stopped to see this flame in their heart. She wanted to know more. When God saw that she turned aside, i.e., she wanted to pursue Him, He called her and She responded, “Here I am”.
From that point forward my mom continually read and studied the Bible. She also encouraged and led others to Christ herself. She continually challenged her children, grand-children and great-grandchildren to do the same and better.
No everyone is going to ‘turn aside’ they may see the flame burning in others but they don’t want the same thing. They are content and happy to walk on by and God will let them chose. I am forever thankful that my mom turned aside and said “Here I am”. She was a godly person and I was blessed to be her son.