It Wasn’t the Bush

The bush didn’t deserve the credit. In Exodus 3:1-17, God gave Moses a significant, yet humbling reminder before using him for His service.

You remember the story: God allowed Moses to spend 40 years as a humble shepherd, after having him spent his first 40 growing up as royalty in Pharaoh’s household. God drew Moses over to Him and spoke through the burning bush, though the bush wasn’t consumed. God told Moses, “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. (3:5)”

There was nothing special about the bush or the ground itself. The ground was not holy because it was special dirt. It was just dirt, created by God to serve its purposes exactly as it was doing. It was just doing what dirt does. God chose to sanctify it for His purposes. It did not make itself holy; God’s presence made it holy.

Likewise, the Bible doesn’t describe any special characteristics of the bush because they weren’t relevant. In itself, the bush wasn’t particularly different than any other bush in the area. What made the bush special was that it burned with the presence of the Almighty God.

While mankind has been made in the image of God, unlike the rest of creation, we have rebelled and have fallen and have been separated from God. Only humans may be redeemed from our own sin through the blood of Jesus Christ. Only we may be declared to be sanctified, made righteous by His grace through faith.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul writes to the Galatians of his place and the purpose of his life as God’s instrument, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (2:20)” Paul continues, “But as for me, I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world has been crucified to me through the cross, and I to the world.” (6:14)

Like the bush and the ground, it is the presence of God that makes us truly useful as an instrument of God. It is only God’s presence that can cleanse us and make us holy. It is only God speaking through us that gives us anything of value to say. It is only in His power that we can honor and glorify and serve Him. Be reminded, we should not attempt to serve God in our own strength.

The bush didn’t deserve the credit. It wasn’t about the bush. It’s not about me. It’s not about you. We cannot glorify God on our own. Our life, and our only reason to boast, is to proclaim His message and His glory in the strength which He provides.

Pray that …

• God would fill us with His presence daily
• God would continue to transform us into the likeness of His Son
• God’s presence would burn brightly in us
• God would speak boldly through us
• Others would be drawn to Him by what they see and hear in us
• God would use us for His purposes and His glory each day