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Exodus 3:1b-2a (NLT)
‘He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush.’
It is unsettling that we often stumble into the wilderness before we stumble upon God or God’s provision within our circumstances. Wilderness suggests an inhospitable and abandoned place populated by wild animals whose presence adds to our vulnerability. Being in the wilderness we sense that we are out of favour in the sense of a politician finding themselves in the ‘political wilderness’.
However, God throughout scripture often chooses wilderness as a space for his own unique revelation. Moses having fled to Midian in an attempt to deal with the guilt of having murdered an Egyptian. While perhaps not the life he had envisaged it paid a wage and provided something to fill his days with. But as he led the sheep into the wilderness he was confronted by God. Moses chose to pay attention to God as opposed to ignoring him. He was captivated by God’s presence which broke into the limited world of his own thoughts and self-reflection.
Like many, in times of pain I tend to turn in upon myself. I withdraw both to lick my wounds, many self-induced, and to hide from the imagined consequences of my circumstances. God is not my first thought. Spiritual formation and Christian service at best an irritant when recalled. I simply want to avoid all encounter with what I imagine are lost dreams and false hope. Nothing is more surprising than encountering God in such a space, nor anything more annoying than being reminded of his love and commitment.
However, God reveals Himself for a purpose, and while I may begin in angry response to God’s random appearance, I may over time discover that there is a seamless thread that links my very real misfortune with God’s desire for my growth in grace.
QUESTION: Are you like Moses and seeking shelter in anonymity?
PRAYER: Lord, when all else is stripped away and I encounter you. Thank you that even in the wilderness there you are.
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