So God is here, God is At work … God is always here, Always at work. I guess the question is, will he choose to reveal himself to us, and if he does, what will we do with the revelation?

God revealed himself to Moses in Exodus 3 as The Angel of The Lord … pre-incarnate Jesus … through this bush on fire, but not being consumed
v2 – though the bush was on fire, it did not burn up
v3 – Moses SAW – are we paying attention?
v3 – Moses THOUGHT – I will go over and see …
v4 – He had gone – Action

How many times have we noticed God at work or wondered if God might be at work. We see something and we are considering, “is this God, should I check it out”. “I really should check that out … TOMORROW”. And tomorrow never comes. A friend of mine used to say “I’ll do that on the 12th … the 12th of never.” Well it’s “1/2 past never” and “1/4 till when”. Are we going to see what God is doing and investigate how, when, we can be involved.

Notice, it wasn’t until Moses came over to investigate that God spoke. If his revelation doesn’t have our interest then why would he bother to speak?
So Moses investigates … God speaks “Moses! Moses!”
Moses answers … I know that’s a simple thing, but sometimes God speaks and we RUN or we pretend we don’t hear, but Moses answers.
Moses responds “HERE I am.”
Not to overplay the simple … but this statement of being I think was deep
HERE I am –> In Exile
HERE –> seeking to know what you are doing
HERE –> in confusion about who I am or what I am
HERE –> near to you, far from home
HERE I am

And God says
v5 “Don’t come closer … take off your sandals”
Such a humbling thing here. I personally can relate to this because I am a “shoe wearing guy.” Taking off my shoes is a humbling thing.
We need to see that before Moses could draw near there had to be humility. Humility and Brokenness come before Intimacy. I know that Hebrews 4:16 tells us that we can approach the throne of grace with confidence and receive mercy and grace. But that confidence is based on the completed work of Christ at the Cross.
But approaching the Work and Revelation of God is a bit different. When God reveals himself, that he is at work, he is inviting us to JOIN him. So, we have to be careful, because we often storm into his presence with our plans and big ideas. Or maybe that is just me. I know I am guilty. I am an idea guy. I get a sense of God’s move and my mind races and I come racing into God’s Throne room with a plan for him. Instead we need to humble ourselves, take off our running shoes, and recognize that God is not wanting to do something, but hoping that I will come up with a plan. God is not hoping that I have an idea so he can bless it or better yet so he can DO it for me. Be certain that God HAS a plan. So we need to humble ourselves and say “speak Lord, your servant is listening.” If you have ideas, ask God, “is this your plan or mine?” Then SCRAP YOUR PLANS and embrace his.
Pray: “God reveal yourself to me”
v6 God says “I am the God of your father … of Abraham … Isaac … Jacob …
i.e. I have been here, I have been working, I can and will continue.
Then God begins to reveal his plan vv7-10
v7 I have seen … I have heard … I am concerned …
It had been 400 years but God wasn’t oblivious, he wasn’t lazy, 400 years is a snap of a finger to him, he had a plan
v8 I have come down to rescue … bring them out
v9 the cry has reached me … I have seen
v10 So, Now Go, I am sending you …

So, then back to the Revelation of God in the Bush. It burned but was not consumed, because God was IN it. God did not need the Bush for fuel, but it was simply a container as he displayed his revelation. God does not NEED us, or our abilities, but if we surrender he uses us.
Moses was worried about his ability … but he needed to look the Bush. Moses goes on to give lots of excuses, and statements of inability, but Look at the Bush. The same God who does that can use me. God didn’t need his ability, but his availability.
As you enter the realm of God’s work this week …
See — God is at work, pay attention to what he is revealing, what he is doing
Think — God wants me to come over there
Draw Near in Humility — take off your running shoes
Listen for HIS Plans — Scrap Yours
Join him and Watch in Wonder at what he does through you.