Daily devotional · June 2
Take Off Your Sandals
“Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from within a bush. Moses saw the bush ablaze with fire, but it was not consumed. So Moses thought, “I must go over and see this marvelous sight. Why is the bush not burning up?” When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from within the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered. “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.”
Moses was doing an ordinary thing, tending sheep in the desert, when a bush that burned without burning up stopped him in his tracks. God spoke his name, and then gave a strange instruction: remove your sandals, because this ground is holy. Notice that the place did not look special. What made it holy was the presence of God. Many of us wait for dramatic moments to meet him, while he waits in the middle of our routine. The invitation is to turn aside, to slow down enough to notice. Today, pick one ordinary place, your kitchen, your commute, your desk, and treat it as holy ground for five minutes. Take a deep breath, say quietly that you are here, and listen. God may not use fire, but he still calls people by name.
Prayer
Lord, open my eyes to see your presence in the ordinary places of my day.