Most days we live are pretty ordinary. Wake up, drink coffee, read your Bible, get ready for work, work, eat, exercise, eat, visit friends, read, sleep. This would look extremely different if you have children, but you get the picture. The mountaintop experiences aren’t the norm, the valleys are. The valleys are the places in life where we just walk. We walk and walk and walk without seeing a new sight or getting to a new path. Everything around us seems strangely familiar and we keep looking out for the next turn towards a big adventure.
Moses was the same way. After he had been raised in the household of Pharoah, the very man who sought to kill every Hebrew child, he killed an Egyptian and ran away out of fear. He arrived in the land of Midian where he met some shepherd girls and married one of them who was named Zipporah. (Exodus 2) He then became a shepherd. Needless to say, he had the same routine, day in and day out, like many of us do. But one day changed everything.

It began normal. Moses was simply doing his job and shepherding his sheep. He walked with them to Horeb, known as the mountain of God. As he walked, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. It was a bush that was burning with fire, yet it was not consumed. I love that Moses’ response to this incredible sight was this: “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” The moment Moses “turned aside,” God spoke.

What if Moses had not turned aside? Would he have missed what God was going to tell him? It is clear that in Moses recognizing the sight and taking his attention off of his sheep that God was honored and waited for his action. He could have easily kept walking and thought nothing of it. Instead, he “turned aside,” which literally means that he left what he was doing to go see this marvelous sight. All too often I get distracted by what I am doing and am not willing to “turn aside” from it to see what God is calling me to. Even more, my vision can be so short-sighted that I don’t even see the mighty works of God in the distance.

God then begins to tell Moses the huge task that is ahead of him. Moses is to deliver the Israelites out of the slavery of the Egyptians. This was HUGE and completely impossible for Moses to accomplish! It was a vision that God gave Moses that could not happen without the divine intervention and work of Almighty God. Moses responds just like most of us would. He says:

“Who am I…?”

God replied:

“I will be with you…”

It doesn’t matter who we are, but who He is. For many of you, God has given you a great vision or dream that is completely impossible. You may have even told it to someone once and they reaffirmed that the vision was too big. Your vision may be great, but God is greater.

The question we should ask each day, whether we are “turning aside” to see a burning bush or walking with our daily sheep, is not who am I, but who is God? When we take the focus off of ourselves, more gets done. It’s not about our abilities and gifting (which came from God in the first place). It’s also not about our name, how much money we have in the bank, what degree we had or didn’t have, or even who we know. The only person that matters is God, the Great I AM.

God tells Moses to tell the people “I AM WHO I AM” sent him. This name literally means “I will be” and “the God of Now.” He is not bound by time, like we are. He is not limited, like we are. Nor is wavering and constantly changing, like we are. He is always the same and holds the entire universe in the palm of His hands. In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus gives us the Great Commission. You can probably say it without me even writing it, but the Word of God is important and should always be read:

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Did you get that? Jesus calls Himself  “I am,” which translated means the exact same thing it did in Exodus 3! Literally translated, it means “I exist,” or “I am now.” This takes my breath away. He is with us at this very moment. The same God who was with Moses when the people were delivered from the Egyptians is the same God who is with us today! It doesn’t matter who you are, but who God is. And if you have surrendered your life to His call, you are the Great I AM’s child!

Let that sink in today, sister. I AM is with you. He will never leave you. You know those big dreams you have? They aren’t your, they are His. Let us turn aside to the miracles God is doing, knowing that He is fully capable of doing ANYthing.

Walking with you,

Gretchen