It's been so long since I've participated in the WFW at Internet Cafe Devotions. Right now I am reading in Exodus for the chronological Bible reading schedule {I'm way behind schedule- just keep on keepin' on}.
Exodus 3:1-6 {KJV}
Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off they shoes from off they feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
How magnificent to have witnessed the burning bush! How many of us wouldn't have been curious and gone to check it out? But what really got my eye in this passage is that God told Moses to take off his shoes to walk on holy ground. He didn't just say don't come closer but take off your shoes, too.
On Sunday, the morning's talk was on the holiness of God. But I think it was more about how we are not holy and we miss just how God is holy. We are the profane; He is holy. In 1 Peter 1:16 we are reminded that we are to be holy because we are God's; we are to be holy because He is holy.
We fail of course. But we don't give up or give in. We need to be shocked at sin. So shocked we are repulsed and turn away. We must be different than those who are not believers; in our dress, behavior, thoughts, deeds, entertainments, etc. We need to strive for holiness.
I think that there are people, saved and unsaved, who feel that since God's holiness is so far above us and cannot be reached, what's the point. We will never get there so why try. It is so important to try, to keep trying. It might start with taking off our shoes...
