A burning bush......
A talking donkey.....
A shining angel.....
A wet (or dry) fleece.....
Sometimes I have wished God would speak to me like that. I suppose these things would really get my attention. I think, "I would get that message loud and clear! Something like this would surely help me overcome my doubt on whether I heard from God or not. Certainly these saints of old had a great advantage in receiving these kinds of signs."
But then the Lord gently reminds me that He has spoken to me and in a much greater way than these. He has provided, in an ultimately reliable, time-tested, and yet, compact form, a revelation given to us through multiple authors over a period of oh, 1,500 or so years (that makes a burning bush sound easy). I actually have at my instant availability the Holy Word of the One True God of the universe. Whether it's one of the umpteen printed Bibles we have around our home, the myriad of online versions, or even apps on my little iPhone, I can pretty much read it virtually anywhere, anytime, and with anybody. The very idea should blow my mind!
So, why do I neglect it? Why do I often go throughout my day busy with all the things I need or want or have to do without listening to Him through it; not just once, not just for a few minutes, and not just to 'mark something off my checklist'? What does it mean that I am to meditate on it all the time (see Joshua 1:8 & Psalm 119:97)? I don't think it is the image I get of sitting cross-legged on a mountaintop 24/7. It really should be more practical than that, right?
So since I know we live in very different times than these people of the Bible in the instances above, I looked up some of their stories to see how it happened for them and why they were given such a privilege.
In Exodus 3, Moses is minding his own business shepherding a flock of sheep in the wilderness when he sees a burning bush. "So Moses said, I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up." (Exodus 3:4) "Ding", then it hits me. The Lord did not speak to Moses out of the bush UNTIL he went over to check it out. Hmmm.
In Numbers 22, Balaam is setting out to visit Balak (a bad dude who wants Balaam to curse Israel), and God sends an angel to stand in his way. Balaam's donkey (who apparently has more spiritual sensitivity than this prophet) runs off the road, into the wall, and finally lays down from fear of the angel. While Balaam is beating the poor thing, she opens her mouth and talks to him. (The next part cracks me up.) Balaam talks back to her! And, 'ding', I realize that it is not until Balaam has this conversation with his donkey that the Lord opens his eyes and he gets the message from God. Hmmm.
In Judges 6, you know the story of Gideon. God spoke to him using a fleece. I won't go into all the details here, but notice that first Gideon prepared a meal for an angel, tore down his father's altar to Baal, built an altar for the Lord, put the fleece on the threshing floor, rose up early to check it, and then received the sign from the Lord. Hmmm.
So, here's the point that was made for me. Although I need times of specific and devoted Bible study (66 books worth, so no need to run out of material), I learn that He also wants to speak to me through His Word as I go about my normal daily activities. His Word is living and active and is able to reach through both the mundane and the chaos of my little world. How? Like these examples, there is a need for me to "turn aside", to "inquire", and yes sometimes, to "do something in faith first" in order to get the message loud and clear into my life.
So, I will stop what I'm doing.
I'll take the time.
I'll think it through.
And, I will prepare the way for the Lord in my heart and life.
I may even take off my shoes.
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