Turning Aside
Recognizing God’s Call at Life’s Crossroads
In Exodus 3, Moses finds himself at a significant turning point in his life. While living as a shepherd in Midian, far removed from his previous life in Egypt, Moses encounters the burning bush at Mount Horeb. This encounter is a pivotal moment, marking a major change in Moses’ life direction. Yet, what stands out in this story is not just the miraculous nature of the burning bush, but Moses’ choice to turn aside and investigate. This decision would ultimately lead him to his calling as the leader of Israel.
Moses' experience can be understood as a model for how God's call often manifests at crossroads in our lives, not as an otherworldly or magical event, but as a natural occurrence aligned with God’s established order of the universe. God’s call, then, can be seen as a turning point — a decisive moment where we are confronted with a choice that could alter the direction of our lives.
God’s Call: A Crossroads in Life
Rather than envisioning God’s call as a supernatural voice from heaven, it is helpful to view it as a moment when we encounter a choice in accordance with God's order. The burning bush in Moses’ story, while miraculous, functions as the symbol of such a crossroads. Moses was simply tending the flock, following the ordinary rhythm of life, when an unusual sight caught his attention. At that moment, he faced a decision — to either continue his daily routine or turn aside to investigate what lay before him.
In our own lives, these crossroads may not present themselves in such dramatic fashion, but they are no less significant. God’s call may come through various means: through the teachings of scripture, through relationships, through moral choices, or through life events. These moments are natural, arising from the world’s design under God’s sovereign hand. They are crossroads, moments of decision where we are called to engage with God’s moral law, His truth, and His purpose.
As Moses turned aside to investigate the burning bush, we too must be willing to turn aside and seek God’s will in the moments where choices present themselves. These decisions are not random but are a reflection of God’s order, His “rules of the cosmos,” which direct the flow of life according to His plan. When we make these choices, we are, in essence, responding to God's call.
Responding to God’s Call in the Order of Creation
In Exodus 3:4, the text reveals that “when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush.” The critical point here is that God called Moses after Moses made the decision to turn aside. This is a key aspect of understanding God's call. It often comes through natural means — through decisions we must make within the moral and natural order God has established. It is in these moments of decision, or crossroads, that God often reveals deeper purposes for our lives.
God’s call is not an interruption to the order of life, but a part of it. His will is embedded in the fabric of creation, and His moral law governs the universe. When we face moments of decision — times when we must choose between the world’s way and God’s way — we are, in fact, encountering the crossroads where God’s call is present. The world’s natural order and moral structure work together to guide us toward God’s will, and our choice to turn aside and seek that will is our response to His call.
Moses’ experience at the burning bush is a perfect illustration of this principle. The sight of the burning bush, while miraculous, represents the crossroad. The decision in this moment transformed Moses from a shepherd to the chosen leader of Israel.
The Sacred Ground of Decision
Exodus 3:5 reminds us that as Moses approached the bush, God told him to remove his sandals, for he was standing on holy ground. The ground became holy not because of the bush itself, but because God was present. Likewise, the crossroads we encounter in life become sacred when we recognize God's call in the choices before us. Every decision has the potential to align us with God's will or to take us further from it. The ground becomes holy when we make the choice to seek God’s truth and His path.
For Moses, the sacred ground of the burning bush was the beginning of his transformation. His decision to turn aside led to God revealing His plan for him to deliver the people of Israel from bondage. In the same way, when we encounter a crossroads in life — moments where God’s principles and laws come into play — our decision to seek God’s will leads to our transformation. These decisions, guided by the Word of God, which contains His moral law, set the trajectory for our lives.
Recognizing and Embracing God’s Call Today
The story of Moses shows us that God's call is not some distant, magical event that we wait for. It is the natural outcome of living in a world governed by God’s principles. The crossroads we encounter are God’s way of calling us to make choices that align with His will. These moments can come in many forms: in career decisions, in relationships, in moral dilemmas, or in personal challenges. Each moment is an opportunity to turn aside and seek God's purpose.
Conclusion
The story of Moses at the burning bush teaches that God’s call comes through the natural order of life. The world is governed by God’s rules, His moral law, His sovereignty. The burning bush represents the crossroads we encounter — moments where we must decide whether to follow our own path or to turn aside and seek God's will. By choosing to engage with these moments, we stand on holy ground, ready to receive God’s direction and purpose for our lives.
God’s call is not distant or magical. It is present in the natural workings of the world He created. The question is whether we will turn aside, investigate, and recognize the sacred ground where God invites us to walk into His will.