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.
Exodus 3:2
I am not one ponder my dreams in search of some significance. In fact I don’t remember most of them. When I do, they are generally reflections of a worry or stress I have recently been struggling with. Having not left such burdens with my Lord, I fight them in my sleep.
A recent dream I had was so vivid and startling it left a lasting impression on me. The dream spiritually encouraged me. Gods amazing provision was displayed in my minds eye in a very personal way. This same provision was experienced by Moses in his encounter with the burning bush. No, I’m not saying God spoke to me! Let me explain my dream:
I was in a foreign country proclaiming Christ and fulfilling a call to a particular people. At some point they were offended by what I was saying and a crowd of angry people began chasing me, eventually trapping me in the second story of a building. As I looked down at this crowd who wanted to kill me, I was completely alone. I thought… Just pretend you have someone else with you…maybe they would leave. I yelled down, “I am not alone!”. They stayed, now waving guns not just fists. Again I shouted “I am not alone!” Next to me appeared my pastor and mentor in Christ. Now I really wasn’t alone but the crowd stayed. Finally, as loudly as I could, I yelled out a third time. All that came out was “I AM!”. The crowds chanting was silenced and immediately they started to run away. “I AM!” was sufficient.
Later, I couldn’t help but think about Gods answer Moses when he asked …“Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” (Ex 3:13)
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”….Say this to the people of Israel: “I AM has sent me to you.” (Ex 3:14)
The great I AM, everlasting to everlasting, God of all things is sending Moses to the people of Israel held in captivity.
Moses starts to raise objections to this direct will of God. First, he tells God that the people will not believe him. Second, he tells Him that he’s a very bad public speaker. God answers both of Moses objections with solutions… He will give Moses powerful signs …v 8. ‘If they will not believe you,” and he points out that He (God) made man’s mouth v 11 and promised…”I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” (Ex 3:12)
Responding back to God Moses says…”Oh, my Lord, how GREAT is your provision! I will go and do as you have asked.” NOPE…Moses wasn’t looking for solutions…he wanted out of this plan. He instead responds with…”Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” (Ex 3:13)
Isn’t this our own response so often when God presents us with a clear call? Are we not as followers of Christ, clearly called to be his witnesses wherever we go? Yet, when I walk right by an opportunity to speak to someone about the gospel…my heart is saying to God… “Please send someone else.”
It is as if we don’t understand this same GREAT I AM is addressing us today as his children. Not through a burning bush but by His Spirit through His Word. We foolishly wait for signs of “God’s will” for us, when it is clear we are to be about His work in ALL things, and at ALL times.
I awoke with a start from my dream, heart pounding. I had yelled out God’s name “I AM” and startled myself awake. It also awoke in me a refreshed understanding of who God is. I had been minimizing God and His provision. Making His clear call in my life a thing to be ignored. Because I like Moses, like all humans, am very good at making excuses.
Now I pray daily that I would continue to remember God is sufficient to complete His purposes in everything I do. I must simply do in faith what He has asked of me. What has He asked of me? It is what He asks of all His children- Take the gospel of Christ to people! Not as scary as we dream it up to be, for The Great I AM, through His Spirit and Word, has provided everything we need. What about you? Have you forgotten WHO has called you?
WHOSOEVER WILL 