Are You Barefoot?

Can you name 3 barefoot people in the Bible? A blog doesn’t feel like a waste of time if it is educational right? And it is learning about you, Lord!

1. Moses – Exodus 3:5
2. Joshua – Joshua 5:15
3. Paul – Acts 7:33

This past summer at Speak Up with Confidence ‘09, I was so moved during the sharing of God’s Word (a King Hezekiah Bible Study coming soon to a blog near you!), that I slid out of my high heel sandals and gave the rest of my speech barefoot! The Holy Spirit moving like that has to be found somewhere in the Bible, right?! It was one of the purest experiences I have ever had. In an attempt to absorb the importance of the moment, this diva comes home to dive in and study Moses being asked to take off his sandals. And now the story in the AIV…April’s Intentional Version from Exodus 3:

On Mount Horeb (the mountain of God), Moses was just doing his job. Shepherding was not glorious. I am sure that Moses reminisced of the grandeur of his previous position in Pharaoh’s palace from earlier years gone by. But now, he spent his days with stinky, woolly sheep trying to care for them at the request of his father-in-law. However, there was one day, where Moses’s ordinary life met the extraordinary power of God and Moses’s life was forever changed.

The angel of God (Jesus in the Old Testament) had entered a bush along Moses’s shepherding route. This was a most unusual sight. The bush was burning, but not consumed. Freak of nature? Moses could have very easily kept on walking saying, “That is really weird and I better not get involved, I am going to keep on walking.” He definitely had a choice to stop at the bush or not. Don’t you think?

Moses, praise God, allowed what was going on around him to grab his attention, but not necessarily consume him. He could have stood afar off and questioned the sight. He could have passed it and then second thought himself for weeks. Can you relate? He was not too distracted with the daily responsibilities of the sheep to be keenly aware of his present surroundings.

When Moses started to focus, absorb, and inquire about what was going on…then, and only then, did God Almighty speak out from His Dwelling Place, temporarily a burning bush, and called Moses by name. What must of that been like!?! I believe that God was pleased that Moses took notice of the miracle God was doing during his ordinary day.

Then Moses answered God, “Yes? I’m here” (MSG). How did Moses know that the voice he heard was that of God? Moses was standing in the very presence of God. Was it undeniable? How could he be sure? The Bible doesn’t mention that Moses had fear or question in that experience. He just listened and conversed. God told him, “Don’t come any closer. Remove your sandals from your feet.” Doesn’t that imply that Moses wanted to get closer to the burning bush after he heard God speak through it? Would I have wanted to run to it? Are you sure that it’s God? You? God paced Moses with instruction and explanation. “Remove your sandals from your feet. You’re standing on Holy Ground.” What a beautiful picture that is! The very spot that Moses stood while doing just the ordinary things of life turned into a holy, divine, Godly place. I love that!

Once God made Moses aware that this meeting was holy, divine, miraculous and Moses gave Him his attention and podiatry obedience (we assume Moses quickly untied those sandals) God identified himself. “I am the God of your Father: The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.” Moses could barely take in what was happening. Moses need no further instruction, he voluntarily hid his face. How humble! Moses understood the soberness of the moment and the humility it required.

From there, Moses’s life was forever changed with God placing a call on Moses to set free the captives, lead His people, and worship the one true God. An ordinary day held an extraordinary call. How about ours?