Dr. Bob Odom Ph. D.
One of my favorite stories in the Old Testament is the story of Moses encountering a burning bush. The amazing part of this story is that the bush continues to burn without being consumed. Moses lived in the desert, and while not a usual occurrence, there were times when bushes and shrubs would ignite through spontaneous combustion. But in these instances, the bush would burn and be destroyed in minutes.
This bush, however, did not burn up but continued to burn. This phenomenon intrigued Moses, who was attracted to it. But as God often does, He prepares Divine opportunities to teach and focus our attention. God used something from desert life to get Moses’ attention.
If this had happened to me, I would have been intrigued and would have explored the reasons why the bush was not being consumed. I would have examined the cause and source of the fire, trying to figure out why it was not burning up. In fact, it is possible that I could have been so focused on the bush that I would have missed what God was saying.
Moses was busy. He was attending to the sheep, raising a family, and possibly licking his wounds from his rejection in Egypt. For forty years, he was isolated and living the opposite of what he experienced in Egypt. He had no political power, financial security, or prestige, but he was enjoying his life and had settled into the daily routine.
But then this happens. The bush is burning, and God speaks. He speaks and calls Moses to be the deliverer of the people of God. This causes Moses to react, and he begins to give every excuse under the sun for why he cannot do this. I cannot speak. I stutter. I get nervous. One by one, God clicks off all of these excuses and gives Moses a solution to his objections.
Complacency, a state of self-satisfaction that leads to a lack of progress, can often creep into our lives. I wonder if there was a level of comfort that Moses had developed. He was accustomed to watching the sheep and raising his family. I know that for me, I can become complacent and comfortable in my life. I can become complacent and comfortable doing even good things. I can raise my family, do “God’s” work, and more. These are wonderful things, but sometimes I need a push to change and do new things. I need a burning bush experience that gets my attention and moves me out of my comfort zone.
I have seen God do this in me several times. On one occasion, I was pastoring a growing church. We saw some great things happen in the church. I was connected to the fire and EMS community as a chaplain and volunteer. Things were going well until they were not. I had become comfortable.
God was doing something, but I needed a burning bush to realize it. I found myself no longer enjoying the pastoral role. I was tired and did not feel I was accomplishing as much as I needed to (my self-talk). My wife wanted to be closer to the kids and grandkids. All in all, I was facing a burning bush moment in my life. Things were burning, not in a physical sense but in a spiritual sense.
Through it, I heard God’s voice telling me it was time to move and relocate. I, like Moses, made all kinds of excuses. What will people think? How will we support ourselves? What will the future hold? What if people do not believe the reasons we are leaving? What if I do not find anything that I can do?
Yes, we moved. We moved without a job, a house, or a ministry to go to. But God came through big time. Today, I have the privilege of serving a Nursing Home three days a week as their Pastoral Care Director. I serve six companies around Richmond as a chaplain. Through our church, I get to meet with people and help mentor them to be who God has called them to be. I get to partner with my wife through disciplining others.
Before the burning bush in my life, I was complacent and stagnant. Now I am on the move and free to be the person God called me to be. I am enjoying life again. I am seeing God move in ways that only come from God.
I am not sure what the future holds, but I trust God. Perhaps I will write about and share stories about grief. Perhaps I will tell my story. Perhaps I will help out our church and be more involved with hospital care. Perhaps I will continue to help men develop and grow as men. Who knows? Well, actually, God knows, and that is all I need.
Did I want the burning bush experience? Not necessarily. I liked where I was and what I was doing, but there was a disconnect. Something was not right but I was too complacent to see it. Therefore, the burning bush was the best thing that ever happened to me.
So let me ask you?
- Have you become complacent?
- What needs to change?
- Where and how are you experiencing a burning bush?
- What excuses are you giving to God for not doing what He has called you to do?
- What keeps you from moving forward with what God wants you to do?
Life on the edge 