1/22/2026

Day 22: 

Moses at the Burning Bush

Exodus 3:1–12

Moses had fled Egypt forty years earlier as a fugitive, carrying the weight of a murder and the collapse of his youthful confidence. Once raised as a prince, he was now an aging shepherd, tending sheep on the far side of the wilderness. At eighty years old, his dreams of deliverance had long since died. Then, in a desolate place, God interrupted his routine with a burning bush that was aflame yet not consumed. From the fire came a voice calling his name: “Moses, Moses!” And Moses answered with the first word of surrender, “Here I am” (Exodus 3:4).

God revealed His heart and His plan: “I have surely seen the affliction of my people… and I have come down to deliver them” (Exodus 3:7–8). Then came the shocking invitation: “Come, I will send you to Pharaoh” (Exodus 3:10). Moses, however, did not respond with eager obedience. Instead, surrender was contested through a series of objections that expose the anatomy of human resistance.

His first objection was identity: “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” (Exodus 3:11). Moses focused on his inadequacy. God did not argue with Moses’ self-assessment. He redirected it: “But I will be with you” (Exodus 3:12). Surrender is never rooted in self-confidence but in God’s presence. Scripture echoes this truth repeatedly: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6).

Moses’ second objection was ignorance: “If they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say?” (Exodus 3:13). God revealed Himself as “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14), the self-existent, unchanging God. Surrender does not require full understanding—only trust in who God is. As Proverbs declares, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

Third, Moses feared rejection: “They will not believe me or listen to my voice” (Exodus 4:1). God responded with signs, reminding Moses that divine authority accompanies divine calling. Yet notice—God did not remove the need for faith. Surrender often steps forward before affirmation follows.

Fourth, Moses appealed to limitation: “I am not eloquent… but I am slow of speech” (Exodus 4:10). God answered with a piercing reminder of sovereignty: “Who has made man’s mouth?” (Exodus 4:11). Weakness surrendered becomes the stage for God’s power, just as Paul later testified: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Finally, Moses spoke the truest objection of all: “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else” (Exodus 4:13). This was not fear—it was refusal. God’s anger burned, yet He did not withdraw the call. He accommodated Moses’ weakness by appointing Aaron as his spokesman. God’s purposes move forward even through reluctant surrender, though not without consequence.

The burning bush teaches us that God calls from the fire. He does not eliminate discomfort; He sanctifies it. Moses removed his sandals because surrender begins with reverence. Holy ground demands humility. God does not ask for ability—He asks for availability.

What excuses are you offering God? What fear keeps you negotiating instead of obeying? Moses’ story assures us that God does not wait for confidence or competence. He waits for surrender. And when imperfect people finally yield, His glory moves through them in ways they could never accomplish alone.

“God does not call the ready; He readies the called when they finally stop resisting the fire and say, ‘Here I am.’”