God’s Awareness #3 – Responsive Looking

The angel of the Eternal allowed himself to be seen by Moses as a blazing fire from the midst of a bush … When the Eternal 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

Sometimes God reveals himself as a blazing fire; sometimes as a weary traveler. Sometimes he appears as a pillar of cloud; sometimes as a storm in the desert. Sometimes he can be seen seated on an exalted throne; sometimes as a fantastical arrangement of interconnected wheels. Once he even revealed himself by living as one of us in the person of Jesus. Usually, however, we encounter God through his representatives: the human beings created in his image. How we apprehend the Eternal seems to be unimportant compared to how we respond. For God watches to see how we will react to his revelation. Had Moses walked by, had he ignored the flames, he would have missed the opportunity of a lifetime. God watches to see who will respond, who will engage with him. The One who created us, who knows our names, sees our interest and calls to us. So we would be wise to remain alert and ready, with our eyes open to his signals, and the ears of our hearts open to his voice. While his revelation might be amazing, our subsequent experiences with him will be more so. No regrets!

Mysterious Majesty, who shows yourself so creatively, grab my attention today, for the glory of your name and the freedom of your people. Amen.