Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Opening Scripture

“Come near to God and he will come near to you.” James 4:8

Opening Prayer

Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for your love and mercy, your protection and provision, your comfort and healing. Help me to trust you in all things and orient my life toward you today. May my mind’s attention and heart’s affection be on you. Guide my choices and direct my decisions for your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

Exodus 3

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”

“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”

Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.”

“Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’”

“The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God.’ But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.”

“And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians.”

Reflection  

Today’s passage expands our understanding of God’s self-revelation. In this remarkably personal encounter with Moses, God identifies himself by the name I AM. The Hebrew word YHWH (Yahweh) comes from a verb meaning “to exist.” God’s eternal, transcendent otherness is implied in this name. God just IS!

After spending 40 years in the courts of Pharoh, Moses spent 40 years herding sheep in the Sinai wilderness. One day, as he tended to his father-in-law’s flock near Mount Horeb, Moses saw a bush that was burning but not consumed. This “mountain of God” was “holy ground” and years later, it was where Moses received the Law from Yahweh.

Moses quickly realizes that Almighty God is purposeful and compassionate. He also discovers that God’s plans have serious implications for Moses. God tells Moses what he intends to accomplish then says, “Go, I am sending you.”

God’s plan required radical obedience on Moses’ part. It does for us as well. Our compassionate and purposeful God expects each of us to demonstrate our love and respect for him by obeying his commands.

Flourishing Habit

Happiness and Life Satisfaction

I love the fact that God showed up miraculously when Moses was 80 years old and gave him a challenging assignment that would change his life and establish the foundation for the redemption of the world.

God established a relationship with Moses that day that continued to grow and develop for the rest of his life. In fact, 30 chapters later, we’re told that “The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend” (Exodus 33:11).

Our greatest joy and satisfaction will come from our relationship with God. And, as with every relationship, it requires intentionality on our part. If you want a closer relationship with God, you must spend time with Him, talk to Him, listen to Him, care about what He cares about, and orient your life toward Him.

In Jeremiah 29:14, God promises, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

What’s one thing you can do today to draw closer to God?

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!