MOSES’ TRANSFORMATIONMay 18, 2025 (500 words)
“Meanwhile: The Fire That Doesn’t Burn Out”
Life’s Transitions and Transformations at the Burning Bush on Mount Horeb
Mount Horeb—also known as Sinai—is where Moses first encountered God’s fire and later received His law. Transformation begins and returns there.
There’s a sacred stretch the Bible calls “meanwhile.” It’s not the mountaintop or the valley, but the long in-between. These are the years between the palace and the pasture, the push and the promise, the prayer and the answer. Moses lived in that space for eighty years, until a bush burned without burning out.
God does His deepest work in the quiet middle. But we often miss it, rushing past what should stop us cold. Exodus 3 offers a guide for navigating these thresholds. Aging, loss, calling, endings—they all press one question: How do we walk wisely through life’s turning points?
Here are three steps to heed God’s transforming call:
1. LOOK FOR GOD
“Moses saw… so he thought, ‘I must go over and look at this remarkable sight.’” —Exodus 3:2–3 (CSB)
Moses didn’t pass by. He paused. The Hebrew word ra’ah means more than seeing—it means perceiving. He turned aside. That’s the first act of transformation: changing direction to pay attention.
We live in a culture of speed, but divine moments require stillness. God still speaks through ordinary things—a sunrise, a still night, a bush on fire that does not burn out.
“Be still, and know that I am God.” —Psalm 46:10
Socrates wrote, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” But someone wiser added: “The examined moment may change everything.”
2. LISTEN TO GOD
“God called out to him from the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’” —Exodus 3:4
Seeing led to hearing. The silence broke with Moses’ name. Sacred ground requires sacred attention.
- “Take off your sandals.” Remove whatever stands between you and God. Pride. Distraction. Noise. Holy moments demand holy posture.
- “The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any double-edged sword.” —Hebrews 4:12
- “The Holy Spirit does not shout over our noise. He waits until we are silent enough to hear.” —Oswald Chambers.
- Isaiah saw the Lord and said, “Woe is me!” Reverence is the first response of those who are called. Or should be.
3. OBEY GOD
“I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you may lead My people out of Egypt.” —Exodus 3:10
God didn’t call Moses to admire the bush, but to act.
“I have come down to rescue them… and bring them to a good and spacious land.” —Exodus 3:8
Transitions—retirement, illness, loss—aren’t endings. They’re disguised beginnings.
“You cannot go with God and stay where you are.” —Henry Blackaby.
So when your “meanwhile” arrives—whether it’s waiting, loss, or change—pause. Then —
- Look.
- Listen.
- Obey.
The bush still burns.
And God still calls your name.