God Who Dwells Within

Meeting God on Holy Ground

Reading: Exodus 3:1-12

“God said, ‘I will be with you.’” — Exodus 3:12

What a contrast there was between Moses’ life as an Egyptian prince and his life as a Midianite shepherd. In Egypt he had known privilege, position, and comfort; in Midian he became an unknown foreigner, doing the very kind of work he had once been taught to despise. It must have been a humbling change. Yet God was preparing him in those hidden years. Moses was learning patience, endurance, and the ways of the wilderness—lessons he would need when leading Israel. Lent often brings us to such places too. We become painfully aware of our weakness, our disappointments, and the distance between who we are and who God created us to be. Yet Exodus 3 reminds us that God wastes nothing. The quiet and humbling places may be the very places where He is shaping us for His purposes.

Then God spoke from an unexpected source—a bush that burned and yet was not consumed. Moses turned aside to look, and that moment became a holy encounter. God still meets His people in surprising ways: through Scripture, through silence, through suffering, or through an ordinary day suddenly touched by His presence. Moses discovered that barren ground can become holy ground when God is there. The fire in the bush did not destroy it; instead, it was filled with the presence of God. In the same way, God longs to inhabit our lives. He does not come to consume us in judgment, but to fill us with His holy presence, so that our ordinary lives may shine with His glory. Yet this God who comes near is also holy. Moses was told to remove his sandals, and he hid his face because he stood before the Lord.

Yet the holiness of God is joined to mercy. The Lord had seen the suffering of His people and heard their cries. When Moses asked, “Who am I?” God did not answer by praising Moses’ strength. He answered with a promise: “I will be with you.” That is the hope of Lent. We come before God with all our weakness, seeking His strength, and He meets us with His presence.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, dwell within us by Your Holy Spirit, as Your fire burned in the bush and yet did not consume it. Fill our weak and ordinary lives with Your holy presence, so that we may reflect Your light and love. Teach us to come before You with reverence, humility, and trust. When we feel unworthy or unprepared, remind us of Your promise: “I will be with you.” Shape us during this Lenten season into the people You created us to be. In Jesus’ name, Amen.