You’re probably familiar with the story of Moses and the burning bush. Moses is in the desert, looking after sheep, when he notices a bush on fire but not burning. As he looks more closely, God speaks to Moses and tells him he’s the man to lead Israel out of slavery in Egypt. It’s a wonderful story, but what do you suppose would have happened if Moses had seen a bush on fire and just shrugged and walked away? After all, he was in the desert. It would have been hot and dry. He may well have seen quite a few bushes on fire. But Moses is attuned to what’s going on around him. He’s ready to listen to what God wants to say to him. And when he hears God’s voice, it changes everything.
I wonder how ready we are to do the same. We can often be too wrapped up in our own concerns to notice what’s happening and too busy to make time to look and listen. Yet when we pay attention to people and events around us and keep our ears open to what God wants to say, remarkable things can happen.
Just ask Pastor Ngolo. He regularly walked the streets of Kinshasa, heading between his home, his church and his college, blissfully unaware of the street-living children all around him. One fateful day, God suddenly opened his eyes to these children and their plight. Before then, Pastor Ngolo hadn’t given them a second thought, but he now felt convinced God wanted him to serve street-living children. Fast forward 12 years and EPED, the organisation Pastor Ngolo set up, is thriving. The team is reaching children at risk throughout Kinshasa and bringing them the hope of a better future, in the name of Jesus.
If we keep our eyes open, God will sometimes reveal things which make us uncomfortable. This was certainly the case for Moses and for Pastor Ngolo. But it can also be a real adventure. If you take the time to stop, look and listen, who knows where your burning bush experience might take you?