JANUARY 17, 2024
Topic: THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD’S PRESENCE IS PERSONAL
Text: Exodus 3:1- 10
Memory Verse: Exodus 3: 2- “The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed”.
Henry Blackaby once said, “God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal.” The Lord has shown us from the scriptures that He often loves to reveal Himself to individuals. While He speaks, and He shows Himself to individuals. That is why Moses in Exodus 33:18, 23 said, “Now show me your glory.” and God responded by saying, “Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back, but my face must not be seen.” God revealed Himself to Moses personally, not in a crowd.
Similarly, in our text for today, Moses had the burning bush experience, when he was alone, the Lord revealed Himself. The first line of our text says, “The angel of the LORD appeared to him.” No one was there except Moses and His God. As believers, we must crave a personal intimate relationship with God, like David, who said, “As the deer pants for the water brooks So my soul pants for You, O God.” (Psalm 42:1).
Like Moses and the psalmist, we must also have an expression of utter need and desperation for God. To have an experience of the manifest presence of God, we must crave personal time alone with God. As you go out today, make time out to be with God, to hear from God and to be touched by Him. We must move from the outer court into the inner court if we want a fresh encounter with God. Spending time alone with God rids our minds of distraction so that we can focus on Him and hear His Word. Abiding in Him, we enjoy the intimacy to which He calls us and we come to truly know Him.
Prayer: Our Father, even when you are in heaven, you have made our heart your dwelling place. Help us to cherish our time alone with you because it is in such times that you reveal a side of yourself that we cannot experience in the crowd.