Daily Worship

Unexpected arms

Pamela Kennedy July 14, 2024 4 1
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Exodus 3: 1-3 (NRSVA)

1 Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’

My husband and my son have a game they have played ever since my son was small. Wherever we are and whatever’s going on, completely out of the blue, these big arms will come swooping in and lift my son high in the air, accompanied by a cry of “Just when he least expected it!” It’s the delight in my son’s face that always gets me. His dad has been watching and waiting, looking for the perfect opportunity to remind his son - whom he loves — that he’s there and that joy can come at unexpected times. Knowing that this might happen has sharpened my son’s awareness. He’s always on the look-out for the initiative of his father.

What led Moses to shepherd Jethro’s flock to the far side of the wilderness, to the foot of Mount Horeb? Perhaps his senses prickled with anticipation. Perhaps he simply found himself there: right man, right place, right time. He would certainly have been the observant sort, used to keeping the sheep safe in precarious conditions and tending to them. So when he sees this bush, aflame, he watches, curiously. A self-fuelling flame, in need of no external nourishment. Moses doesn’t yet recognise God, but equipped with curiosity and shepherd-watchfulness he resolves to go and see.

God is at work in the world. Perhaps this is a day for us to be on the look-out for His initiative and, even when we don’t yet fully understand, to be willing to change our plans and investigate.

 

Prayer:

 

Living Flame
Your holy fire draws Moses; I long to be drawn too.
You don’t need me, or the bush, to burn, yet You take the initiative because You would have me in Your Presence.
Stir my curiosity and tune my heart to notice where You are working.
Cause me to stop, to watch for You, and to turn towards Your light.
Amen