Stop, drop, and pray. In your time of waiting quietly before Jesus, he will show you what your salvation truly means.
SHAUNA: This is Shauna on Joni Eareckson Tada Sharing Hope with a word from Joni about Exodus 3.
JONI: Actually, a couple of words, and when I stumbled across them the other day while reading in the Old Testament, they really struck me. Exodus 3 describes the time when Moses, while in the desert tending sheep for his father-in-law, saw a burning bush. When he realized that the bush was not being consumed by the flames, Moses said in the third verse, “I'll turn aside and see this great sight.” Well, I was touched by those few short words, so I looked in a few other translations. One version says that Moses went over to investigate; another says, “I will go over and see this strange sight.” Whatever way you put it, it’s clear that Moses stopped what he was doing to turn aside and see and learn more about this wonderful thing. And I love that!
Because for me, it was like an invitation to a really special quiet time with the Lord himself. Like, “Joni, stop what you’re doing, and discover something marvelous about me, something wonderful; I long to show you who I really am.” That’s how it was with that burning bush. God was trying to get Moses to a place apart from the ordinary, so that he could reveal something about himself. It wasn’t to give Moses mere information about a bush that strangely did not stop burning; no, rather, God drew him aside to introduce himself to Moses.
And isn’t that a great way to look at your quiet time? God will go to miraculous lengths to get you to pay attention to him. For me, it wasn’t so much miraculous; it was, at first, miserable. But my broken neck was God's way of forcing me to investigate more about his character; God was inviting me to test him to see if, indeed, in spite of a broken neck, he really is good. But you know what? You don’t have to break your neck to turn aside to meet with God. Friend, you can simply meet with him any hour, morning, noon, or night.
You can read your invitation for such an encounter in Psalm 62:5-7 where it says, “Stand silently before the Lord, wait for him. For salvation comes from him alone. Yes, he alone is my Rock, my rescuer, defense, and fortress—why then should I be tense with fear when troubles come? My protection and success come from God alone. He is my refuge, a Rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people trust him all the time. Pour out your longings before him, for he can help!” Right, there is your invitation to turn aside and come silently before the Lord to wait for him. And there, in your time of quiet with Jesus, he will show you what your salvation means.
Yep, that’s the Lord! That’s what he is to you and me. But we would never discover that did we not turn aside to understand how marvelous he really is. And that’s what I love about Psalm 62.
SHAUNA: The Psalms are full of invitations for us to investigate, to draw near, and get curious; and learn more about our miracle-working God. So why not turn aside with the Lord today and pray a psalm or two back to Jesus? Remember, a quiet time isn’t where God tells you information about himself, it’s a time when he reveals himself. He’s just waiting for you to make time for him. So, like Moses, turn aside and get started. I’m going to take Joni’s advice and do that today! And as the Psalm says, “Pour out your longings before him, for he, and he alone, can help!”
© Joni and Friends