Something Epic

"'Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.' But Moses said to God, 'Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?' And He said, 'Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.' Then Moses said to God, 'Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, "The God of your fathers has sent me to you." Now they may say to me, "What is His name?" What shall I say to them?' God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM'; and He said, 'Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, "I AM has sent me to you."'" -Exodus 3.10-14

God has gotten Moses' attention and now He begins to reveal the role He has for him in the epic story He's writing. It's a big role, and Moses is immediately overwhelmed and feeling inadequate. He wonders who he is to undertake a task like this. Why would God ever choose him? Was he capable of doing this thing that God was asking? But God promises to be with him, and says that he will bring the people to this very mountain to worship him. He gives him a familiar place, a destination he knows, as a sign that he is being sent.

Still not convinced, he raises another question, and God shares His name with him. God gets personal and intimate. For the first time we have God share His name. He doesn't identify Himself as the God of Abraham, but uses His name. In the remaining verses of chapter 3 God shares more of what's going to take place. Moses feels inadequate, and so God works to reassure him and give him confidence.

Men, we are called to be part of an epic story. God has a role for each of us that might seem overwhelming at first, but if we're willing to trust God, He will reassure us. He doesn't go into the specifics of the task, but He'll give us a few details so that we can get a vision for what He's about to do. And just as He got intimate and personal with Moses, He does so with us. Just as He promised to be with Moses, He promises to be with us.

God is calling you to be part of His epic story, are you willing to play your part? It may seem scary and overwhelming at the beginning, but God is writing this story, and He will not abandon us. He is calling us to be part of something epic, do you accept?

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Holy Ground

"Then He said, 'Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.' He said also, 'I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God." Exodus 3.5-6

Moses has given in to curiosity, and now he has come face to face with God. And God tells him not to come closer, but to remove his sandals from his feet because he is on holy ground. He identifies Himself as the God of Moses' ancestors, and as Moses realizes what's going on he hides his face in fear of looking at God.

Men, do we have this kind of reverence? Most likely we haven't encountered God speaking to us through a burning bush in the wilderness, but we can enter into the presence of God and stand on holy ground. And when we come before God it is crucial that we do so vulnerable and humble.

I'm amazed at the arrogance and casual attitudes people take with God, or spiritual matters in general. How many times have you heard, or personally, referred to God as "The Big Guy" or "The Man Upstairs"? How often have we come to God with a front we've built trying to dominate? How often do people joke casually about Hell and Satan, almost making it seem as if they are looking forward to going there? There is no reverence for the spiritual realm, and with that no reverence for God.

When we seek to come before God we do it on His terms. We come to him "barefoot", open and exposed, vulnerable and just as we are. We don't come to God as posers and try to convince Him that we're something we're not. He says "Take off your sandals" come before Me as you are. Show Me that you're willing to be open and honest with Me.

And when we enter the presence of God we must do so with complete reverence. This is the creator of the universe; He spoke galaxies into existence, and yet He takes the time to converse with us. We are unworthy to look at Him, unable to stand before Him, and yet we are invited into a personal relationship with Him.

We are invited onto holy ground to meet with God, are you willing to take off your sandals?

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Are You Willing to Look

"The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. So Moses said, 'I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.' 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.'" -Exodus 3.2-4

Moses took to the road, saved some shepherdesses, met their father who gave him one of his daughters. He settled down, started a family, and became a shepherd himself. His days were spent outdoors looking after livestock. He was alone in the wilderness with his thoughts, honestly it wouldn't be all that bad of a life. No one was after him, and every day he came home to a wife and son. Each day was the same routine, and I imagine he was pretty content.

But then one day something caught his eye, there was a flame in the distance. At first he probably didn't pay much attention to it, figuring it would die down as soon as the fuel source was burned up, but the flame didn't diminish. The more time past, it continued to burn, and it began to peak his curiosity. And so he turns aside to take it in. And in that moment his life was about to be turned upside down. As he drew close to the bush he heard his name, and os he responded "Here I am."

Moses turned aside to see this marvel, and because of it his path was altered. He might have been content as a shepherd, but God had other plans, bigger plans, in store for Moses. He did something out of the ordinary to get his attention and then he got personal. And because Moses was willing to look, he got to speak with God, and be used greatly by Him.

Men, are you willing to turn aside and look? Are you willing to set responsibility, obligation, and distraction down for just a moment in order to examine something that grabs your attention? What is so important that you can't take a moment to simply marvel at something wonderous? And what if that thing that peaks your curiosity is God trying to get your attention? What if it is Him trying to awaken your true passion so that you can take up your part in His epic story?

Are you willing to look and maybe be awakened to your true calling? Or are you content to be a shepherd who looks after some stupid sheep every day? God created each of us to play a part in the epic story He is writing. Somewhere along the way we've gotten distracted and become misguided. God is trying to get our attention so that He can redirect us, but in order for Him to be able to get personal, we have to be willing to take a look.

Are you willing to look?

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor