Day 27..."The Call and Reluctance"

Moses receives the call of God out of the burning bush which is not being consumed. He draws near but as Dr. Bill Mallard taught years ago... one hand invites in and the other hand says stay back! Is this not the call of God? We are drawn in... but at the same time... we must stop for we are on holy ground. I heard the late Rex Weeks of our congregation say he slipped his shoes off in worship for this reason. He felt as though he was on holy ground. Moses was reluctant to follow. Excuses and whining showed how human he was before "I AM." He cited God's plan would not be received and he lacked the gift of speech. Enter Aaron...God called others to help and this is a good model for the Church. Have we ever been reluctant to follow God's call? Or trust that others would be dwawn in to help? There are real life issues in regard to following God in today's text.

Fear is a major reason we may be reluctant to follow God. The Psalmist's opens with a timely verse..(27:1) The Lord is my light and my salvation;whom shall I fear?The Lord is the stronghold of my life;of whom shall I be afraid?

The parable of the "treasure in the field" may be my favorite. When God called me into ministry 31 years ago, I felt as though I stumbled on a treasure. My life has never been the same and is fresh every year. The passage "where your treasure is there your heart also" from day 14 comes to mind. I can identify with Moses reluctance to speak and fear(I once was painfully shy)...but the joy of the treasure keeps me inspired and pushes me out of my shell.

I am reminded through Moses story that God calls us also to specific and even small tasks as well as occasional large tasks. Are we listening? Reluctant? Fearful? Or energized by the joy of the treasure of the Kingdom!