When God gets our attention, it can be a defining moment in our lives and often takes place during a time of transition. Perhaps there was a time in your life when the Lord got your attention and set you on a different path. When Moses encountered the Lord while he was a shepherd, it was completely unexpected. It is often in such moments that He makes Himself known.
Exodus 3:2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. 3 “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.” 4 When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” [1]
Like Moses, God has ways of getting our attention. Sometimes, God allows sickness or other physical ailments to help us slow down. Maybe we’ve been doing too much and need a gentle reminder to focus only on what the Lord wills. Other times, God might use the loss of a job to guide us on a different path. In all these situations, God gets our attention because He has something for us other than the path we are on.
God’s Plan Takes His Intervention
God had a plan for Moses, and for it to unfold, the Lord had to intervene. God had to get Moses’ attention and change the path he was on. After spending 40 years in the wilderness as a shepherd, Moses probably thought he would be a shepherd for the rest of his life. At eighty, he may have thought life had passed him by. But God would use all the experiences of his life in his next season.
As the angel of the LORD appeared to him in the burning bush, it amazed Moses as it would any of us. As God caught his attention, he moved closer to the bush, and God called out to him. God did not speak to Moses until He had his attention, and when He did, He said his name twice. When God speaks someone’s name twice in the Scriptures, it means He is trying to get their attention for a significant task. Often God’s Word doesn’t touch our hearts until He has our complete attention.
Jesus is Knocking
Ultimately, God is asking for our attention to every part of our lives. Jesus calls us. Revelation 3:20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” [2] You may hear that knocking as the world seems to be growing more chaotic.
It is easy to feel powerless, but God is here for us. Psalm 46:1God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. [3] God does not want our attention because He is needy, desperate, or selfish. He asks for it because He is our Savior, who wants us to come to know Him as Savior and to fulfill His plans. Come and see that Jesus is good and necessary for your life today and in eternity. God wants your attention, affection, and devotion for your good and His glory. To learn what happens when God gets our attention, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/god-in-the-midst-of-change
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.