September 14, 2018; God of the Burning Bush

There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. (Exodus 3:2 NIV)

Recently I had to do something that surprisingly I did not have to do for over 8 years. There is a lamp at the corner of our garage. This lamp lights our drive way. In about 2010, the old filament light bulb in that lamp burned out. Therefore, I replaced the old filament light bulb with a new compact fluorescent light bulb which was what we were instructed to change to for energy saving reasons in 2010. It was certainly brighter than the old filament light bulb. At that time when I switched it I thought, at least, I do not have to change that light bulb like once every 6 months previously. As to how long that new bulb would last, I did not know.

I did not expect that compact fluorescent light bulb to last 8 years despite of the snow, rain and wind it experienced. I remember at the 5th year stage thinking that the compact fluorescent light bulb was going to go soon. It did not.

So about 3 weeks ago, it finally happened. After 8 years of serving us, it finally went. I was sad. I had become quite lazy over the 8 years. I did not have to change the light bulb. Now I had to get a new bulb and figure out how the screws in the lamp worked so that I could change to a new light bulb.

Moses is busy looking after his sheep. Suddenly, he sees a burning bush that does not burn up. He moves in the direction of that bush. God speaks to him from that burning bush. God tells him that he is the God of his father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. (Exodus 3:6). In other words, God has been there with Moses’ father, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the principal characters of the books of Genesis and this first part of Exodus. What is the significance of that bush that does not burn out? God does not burn out. That great compact fluorescent light bulb might burn out. God does not. He is the eternal and everlasting God. He is with us just as he was with Moses, his father, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Pastor Pye