God is constantly speaking to his people. God speaks in different ways to different people depending on circumstances and the assignment that He has for us to do. God want his people to pay attention and listen to him so that we should not miss his voice when He speaks to us.
In the case of Moses, God used a symbolic scene that was captivating in the sight of Moses to get his attention before He spoke to Moses.
Exodus 3:1-6 1Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight-why the bush does not burn up." 4When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." 5"Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 6Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
The same God that spoke to Moses is still speaking today to His people. God has not change and is not a different God that performed wonders in the days of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Elijah. A lot of people missed the divine instruction of God in their lives because they are not paying attention, or they are not spiritually attentive or the instruction of God does not sound good enough in their feelings. Just like Jonah when God asked him to go to the city of Nineveh to warn them about the consequence that was about to befall the city if they do not changed their wicked ways. Jonah argued with God and gave God the reasons why it was not important for him to go to Nineveh. Jonah wanted Nineveh to be destroyed by God. Instead of him obeying the instruction of God, he decided to go a different direction outside the instruction of God and ended up in calamity.
Jonah 1:1-4 1The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2"Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." 3But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. 4Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.
We cannot run away from God’s instruction and expect to have peace and succeed in life. When God instructed us to take a move or do something, we just have to obey without questioning or arguing with God. Why most people are struggling in life is because they move when God say stay and stay when God say move.
Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
When God called Abraham to pack his bags and belongings and go to the land of unknown where God will bless him, I am very sure it was a difficult decision for him but he trusted God enough to know that He will never forsake him. Even though Abraham had to leave his family and the community that he was so familiar with and go to a strange land, he has unshakable faith in God that God will do what he said He will do. And at the end, God blessed Abraham beyond measures because of his obedience.
When God call us to engaged on a certain assignment that requires taking a move, it is not our place to fear or worry because He has already prepare that place to be a fertile ground for us to succeed.
Let us be like King David who always seeks the face of God daily for divine instruction so that he will not miss his voice and go a different direction. When we go a different direction, we are stepping out of God’s will, purpose and safety.
Psalm 143:10 New International Version (NIV)
10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
I pray that you will not miss God’s divine instruction in your life.
Bishop Ani Jacob
Founder and president of Christ Ambassadors Ministries Int’
Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States.
Email:christambassadorsministries2013@yahoo.com
www.camifamilyoflove.org