You are a Burning Bush
I recently heard a sermon by Tim Keller, in which he said, “Every Christian is a burning bush.” The imagery of this stunning statement has had my mind ablaze with wonder ever since.
A few weeks ago, our family spent a glorious couple of days in the Midwest, just as the leaves were showcasing God’s glory piercing through the amber waves of grain. Golden hues lit up the leaves, and red fire-like glory danced on the trees. The fall foliage was mesmerizing. As we were making our way through the curves of the countryside, a lone tree caught my attention. Like Moses, I was transfixed by blazing glory and awestruck by Light—a burning bush, right there, in the middle of Indiana.
I heard the Holy Spirit whisper to my inspired soul, “You are to be like this tree.” I didn’t have to ask Him what He meant, I knew.
The darkness of our world is bleak and daunting, but God is an all-consuming fire. And as His children, we are called to be set apart (not set against) to show people the miraculous, overwhelming beauty and holiness of God. To burn with passion for His cause and lead people to know the One True God.
Our zeal should spark life in an unbelieving generation.
Our faith should be a beacon of hope to a weary world.
Our worship should shamelessly point others to Christ’s power so they can see the joy of the Lord.
So how do we keep our embers burning? How can we be a “burning bush” (as Keller asserts) for others to experience Christ through us? As I considered this, here’s what came to mind…
We must resolve not to lose our glow in the slow fade of:
Busyness that keeps us moving but not burning.
Fear of other people’s opinions, so we settle for safe and familiar.
Comparison that convinces us someone else is glowing brighter…so quietly quit and become dim with self-pity.
Comfort that slowly replaces holy fire with lukewarm faith.
Not all dimming happens overnight; it’s subtle, and our leaves begin to fall one at a time until there’s nothing left to burn. But the burning bush Moses saw was not consumed; the fire raged on without disintegrating the bush. The fire is what drew Moses in, then God spoke to him.
The Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing flame of fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was on fire, yet it was not consumed (Exodus 3:2).
When we forget that we were never called to blend into the world, our blaze will fade into lifeless conformity, rather than a trajectory-changing, transforming one.
Be careful to stoke your embers with prayer, the Word of Christ, fellowship with other believers, and honest daily repentance. Only then can you be on guard against mindless scrolling, worldly appetites, and constant craving of fleshly desires that dim your light.
Burn brightly with zeal and passion for our God, be bright with kindness, and glow with mercy.
Draw a cold, dark world into Christ’s arms as you wrap the hurting in yours. Compassion is the gospel at work in us, enabling us to serve one another with grace upon grace.
We must remember the glow we carry is not our own, it’s a holy fire, entrusted to us by the God who is an all-consuming fire. We are vessels of light shining for Him.
May your life, and mine, be like that bush in the wilderness, burn bright enough to make others turn aside, and notice something peculiarly unusual about the way we live.
Don’t shine so others can see you, shine so they can see Him.
Selah.
