“Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” [God speaking to Moses] (Exodus 3:5 KJV).
“If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here” [Moses speaking to God] (Exodus 33:15 ESV).
“We get so used to God’s absence that we don’t ache for God’s presence” (Dr. Doug Banister).
“Earth is crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God; But only he who sees, takes off his shoes” (Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora Leigh).
In the book of Exodus we read that while Moses was busy tending his father-in-law’s sheep, he noticed a bush burning in the desert without being consumed. Even though he was busy working, he said to himself, “I will turn aside to see this great sight.”
When God noticed that Moses had turned to see the burning bush, He began to speak to Moses.
Have you ever wondered what would have happened if Moses hadn’t turned aside to get a closer look at the bush? I mean, he was a busy guy. He had sheep to watch. What if Moses had just kept on working? Would he have heard God speak? Or would God have looked for someone else to go “barefoot” for Him?
No, I think God was determined to use Moses. My guess is that if Moses hadn’t noticed the burning bush, God might have caught something more noticable on fire, like his staff or his tent or maybe even his shoes!
Nothing like getting the hot foot to make you kick off your shoes!
You see, when God wants to get our attention, He will do whatever it takes for us to notice His presence. The funny thing is, that God is always present. The Bible teaches us that God is omnipresent, present everywhere, all the time. Yet, most of us never notice. Most of us never turn aside to see.
Do you look for God’s presence? Do you seek Him out every morning as you open your eyes? Do you slip off to sleep at night talking to Him?
When was the last time you slipped off your sandals to walk along the beach with God?