I have always been fascinated by the burning bush in Exodus 3. If you know the story, Moses grew up in the royal family, but he had to run for his life when he became a fugitive. After hiding out in the desert as a shepherd, God called Moses at the burning bush.
Verse two says, “And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.” This odd sight caught Moses’ attention, and from there the Lord spoke to him, telling him he was chosen to return to Egypt, go before Pharaoh, and demand the release of the Hebrew slaves.
Understandably, Moses was not thrilled at his assignment. He made several attempts at excuses, but God countered each one. Moses balked, but God assured him that he would not go alone. In the twelfth verse God said, “But I will be with you.”
And He was. God led Moses, and his brother Aaron, before the most powerful man in the world. Through the Ten Plagues, Moses secured the release of the slaves. Through the pillar of fire, manna, and water from rocks, God provided for the people as they walked through the wilderness.
When we fast forward through the story we see how much Moses has changed. In Exodus 33 God told Moses to lead the nation the rest of the way into the Promised Land, but God said He would no longer go with them because of the constant rebellion of the people. Moses pleaded with God, saying, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here (v.15).”
In Exodus 3 God said, “I will be with you.” In Exodus 33 Moses said, “I won’t go without you.”
Moses would rather live in the wilderness with God than in the Promised Land without Him. After he spent time with the Lord, Moses concluded that there was nothing better than having that relationship. He had witnessed the power of God through miracles, like parting the Red Sea, but more than that, he had fellowship with God.
This same chapter tells us that Moses set up what he called the tent of meeting, and there he would spend time talking to God. I believe it was this communion, more than anything else, that shaped Moses’ way of thinking.
In Exodus 3 Moses says, “Your presence is not enough.” In Exodus 33 Moses said, “Your presence is all I want.”
In Exodus 3 Moses was worried about losing his life. In Exodus 33 Moses would rather lose his life than live without God.
Maybe that is what you are missing—the presence of God in your life. Make sure you are spending time in communion with Him, reading His word, and talking to Him with your prayers.