Winter is here and well on its way, presenting itself to us in the crisp cold of the mornings and frosty chill of the evenings.  Many of the trees are bare, leaving us with the memory of an ambient, golden Fall season, full of the rich reds, amber yellows, burnt oranges and deep browns that once covered their branches.  Some of the smaller trees seemed to lose their leaves quickly while the hardier ones held on to theirs as if they were in a tug-of-war with ‘Ol Man Winter, not wanting to relinquish their warm, Autumn beauty for his cold, stark barrenness.

In my city, I noticed that among the trees which held their color the longest were those “burning bushes”; trees with every single leaf a bright, fiery red.  Some were small, and some were quite large.  Some stood alone while others were nestled among evergreens.  A good friend of mine once told me these lovely trees get their nickname from the story of Moses when he came upon a burning bush.   (Exodus 3)

Each time I see one of these trees, I wonder about the process that changes the color of the leaves so drastically.  And the more I think about it, I realize the process is not about the leaves.  It’s about the tree itself.  This fiery change of color is only one step in the life cycle of these trees.  It’s an outward indicator of an inward process that must occur in order for the tree to maintain a consistent, healthy life cycle.

Consider this also; this change does not upset the root system of the tree, but rather it’s because the root system is healthy and strong that this change can successfully take place.  The tree’s healthy root system provides the necessary support and stability needed during the season of change.  To the average onlooker, it may seem that a process of death, not life, is occurring as the leaves change and then fall from the tree.  Certainly barrenness is not the most beautiful thing to behold most of the time, but room must be made for fresh new growth. Otherwise, what lies inside the tree for the Spring season would remain unrealized potential, eventually dying of dormancy.

Now, put yourself in the place of one of these trees.  What is your life like when you are experiencing a season of change?  Do you feel uprooted?  Do you wonder if your witness is viewed by onlookers as being damaged because your life appears to be turning into an ash heap in the heat of a fiery trial?

Let’s take a look at Moses’ approach to the burning bush.  In this setting, he is the onlooker.  As we read this story in Exodus 3:2-3, we see that he noticed a bush was on fire, but it was not burning up.  So, out of curiosity he approaches the bush to investigate this unique phenomenon.  As he approaches the bush, a most amazing thing happens.  “When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ ”  And Moses said, ‘Here I am.’ “ (Exodus 3:4 NIV)  God spoke to Moses through the fire, and the conversation that took place in that moment changed his life forever.  When Moses came out of that experience, he was a new man with a new direction in life; a direction full of purpose and promise and the assurance that God would always be with him.

If we are to be able to apply this moment from Moses’ life to our own lives, then there are four things that must be considered.

First, do not wait until you’re in the throes of a fiery trial to approach God.  We live with the knowledge that He’s always with us for He has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us.  (Hebrews 13:5)  Yet, many times we wait until something is on fire and we need His help before we approach Him, and often in those moments our need is not so much for a conversation with God as it is a desperate plea for a fire extinguisher!  In this moment in Moses’ life, he was simply going about his work as a shepherd.  God created a unique setting with a burning bush that would attract Moses and allow Him to get the conversation started.  You might say the burning bush was a real conversation piece.

Margin Note: Conversation piece = a poignant attention-getter

The second thing that needs to be considered is destiny.  What was the conversation God had with Moses once he approached the burning bush?  It was about the very thing Moses had been placed on this earth to accomplish.   Not only did God reveal Moses’ destiny to him, but He also told him how to carry it out and assured him of His Presence and His ability, which were the resources from which Moses would draw his courage and strength.  God took a simple bush, set it on fire, and with this seemingly unimportant piece of landscaping, He revealed to Moses his destiny.  God speaks through the fire.  He can take your simple life, set it on fire, and just when you think you’ve burned down to little more than a pile of ashes and soot that will blow away at the first puff of air, He will start the conversation that will reveal your destiny.  And just as He did with Moses, He will assure you of His Presence and His ability in you to accomplish the task.

The third thing you must consider is the root system of your faith.  Just like the “burning bush” tree whose strong, healthy root system keeps it stable during the season of change, so your faith must be deeply rooted in God’s word, firmly planted in a consistent, conversational relationship with Him.  By living this way, even when you’re in the midst of a fiery trial, you will not turn to ashes and soot.  But rather, you will be the burning bush that God will use to get the attention of an onlooker, someone who’s just going about their life, so He can speak to them through your testimony and reveal to them their destiny in Christ.

This leads us to the fourth consideration; the onlookers, or “peekers” and “seekers” as I like to call them.  This can be a broad group of people, ranging from family to close friends to co-workers, etc, who are always watching our lives and listening to our words.  Revelation 12:11 says “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;…” (NIV)  You see, the blood of the Lamb saves man, testimony convinces man, and you do not have a testimony until you have been tested by fire.  Onlookers are never more convinced of the power of Jesus to heal, save and deliver as when they see it lived out in the life of a healed, saved and delivered soul.  When they see that kind of life lived consistently, they will believe your words because they’ve seen the evidence.  Sometimes, especially as it pertains to those with whom we are closely connected, that evidence is seen when they are watching you handle life in a difficult situation.

Margin Note: That they see is for certain; what they see is up to you.

Think about it this way; if you were to see your neighbor’s house appear to be totally engulfed in flames yet was not burned or affected by the flames, wouldn’t you want to find out what they treated the brick or the siding with?  Wouldn’t you want to know how to obtain that product?  I know I would!  It’s the same with our lives.  When we live in a consistent, conversational relationship with Jesus, it will prove to be our greatest testimony as we face life’s difficulties, and the onlookers in our lives-the peekers and the seekers-cannot help but notice that while “we are pressed on every side by troubles, we are not crushed and broken.  We are perplexed, but we don’t give up and quit.  We are hunted down, but God never abandons us.  We get knocked down, but we get up and keep going.” (2 Cor. 4:8-9 NLT)

Having this assurance, let us learn to desire the fire; the unique setting chosen by God specifically for us, which is that Divine appointment where He calls our name from the midst of the fire, causing us to turn aside from life-as-usual as only an onlooker and step into our destiny, a life that is full of purpose and promise.

Share your thoughts:  What is your “burning bush” attention-getter today?  What is it about that experience that can help you hear God calling your name to place you on the path to your destiny?