"Looking" as God "Looks"

The story of Moses and the burning bush has been on my mind for months now. Tim Keel a pastor of Jacobs Well church pointed out that Moses would never have heard God speaking to him if he wouldn't have given his "attention" to the bush. Moses "looked" at the bush first, and then God spoke to him in the fire. Moses says, "I must turn aside and look at this great sight and see why the bush is not burned up." Moses curiousity lead him to look. In looking he found God. In finding God he heard God. In hearing God he was called. In being called God lead him to free his people from slavery.

As a kid I loved the burning bush story. It is magical. It is mysterious. It is out of this world! As an adult I don't get as excited about the burning bush. Come on! It is silly! It is unbelievable. God never speaks in burning bushes. Does he?

Yet, sometimes I wish God would speak in magical and mysterious ways. I wouldn't even mind if he spoke through silly ways. It sure would be nice if God gave burning bush type experiences today. If he did, then I'd have proof of his presence. I'd know he was real. I'd know there is purpose. I'd know I'm not alone.

Yet after ruminating on Exodus 2: 25- 3 I don't believe Moses got up that morning expecting to find God in a burning bush. I do, however, think he was a man who looked for God in his world. He must have been curious about God and the things of God. He must have been one who paid attention. He noticed. He was aware. It was his attention, his noticing that lead him to see and hear God in the mysterious and yes, even silly, bush. It was Moses disposition that lead him to hear God that day.

But it wasn't just Moses' disposition of being "attentive" or "curious". It was more. Moses knew God. He was God's "man" way before he was "God's man" for setting the slaves free. God was working in and on Moses way before the burning bush. And who is this God that was working in and on Moses? In Exodus 2: 25 it says, "So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them." Before Moses ever went out that morning to graze his flock, before Moses looked and noticed this bush that wasn't burning to the ground, God looked and noticed his hurting people.

The God of Moses, the God who Moses lived for, was and is a God who pays attention. The God of Moses was and is aware. The God of Moses is curious. People who follow the God who notices, notice. People who follow the God who looks, look. People who follow the God who pays attention, pay attention. It was Moses' disposition to look because it was God's disposition to look.

So, I wonder, where is God looking today? Because wherever he is "looking" it is there that he is speaking. If I'm a Jesus follower then I need to practice a life of "looking", "noticing", "paying attention" to what God is "looking", "noticing", and "paying attention" to. It is in looking, that I will hear God in today's "burning bushes". I guess if I look where he looks, I'd have proof of his presence. If I look where he looks, I'll know he is real (and so will others). If I notice what he notices, I will know I'm not alone (and so will others). If I pay attention to what he pays attention to, I'll recognize my life has purpose (and so will others).

Today's burning bushes are where God looks! God is looking on a people who need to be set free from slavery for starters! In looking, we'll hear. In hearing, I wouldn't be surprised if he calls. If the God who looks is still concerned for his people,(he is) then in calling, he'll continue to use people like you and me to set his people free. Where God is looking, he is present. Where God is present, he speaks. Where he speaks, he sets free.