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Some interruptions in our lives are simply unplanned delays. Like i wrote about last week, God can use His divine delays in our journey to bring us into alignment with His perfect timing. He slows us down in order to accomplish His perfect plan in the midst of our journey. But some interruptions are far more than a delay. They are moments, events and/or circumstances He uses in our lives to completely redirect us onto a course that looks very different from the one we’ve been on.

Most often, these interruptions can occur in the midst of a “normal” day. We’re doing what we normally do, going about our routine, perhaps on auto-pilot. When the day started out, we had a pretty good idea of how the day was going to look. We had our “to-do” list in hand, our schedule laid out, and our sights set, not only on the plans for this day but also the others that would follow. We were looking to the plans we had for that evening, or the coming weekend, or the upcoming vacation, or some other occasion. We weren’t planning on the change in direction, and we weren’t anticipating a change in our plans.

Then suddenly … our journey was interrupted by an unexpected event or some unanticipated news … and suddenly we had come to a turn in our path that we had not foreseen. The turn ahead may look overwhelming, it may be devastating, or it may be exciting. But regardless, the One who goes before us has entrusted us with a divine interruption. We would do well to learn from two men who experienced divine interruptions themselves.

Moses was having a “normal” day. He was doing the same thing that he had done almost every day for the prior forty years. He was shepherding his father-in-law’s sheep on the side of a mountain. He did not wake up that morning thinking that he was going to be standing on holy ground before the day was out.(1) That is how most interruptions come; and that is how most changes in our journey begin.

Moses saw something that day which at first glance was not that unusual. Moses was tending his flock and noticed a bush in the distance that was ablaze. That was a common sight on that part of the mountain at that time of year. The dryness of the earth combined with the intensity of the sun often caused bushes to burst into flame. But Moses began to notice that the fire was not burning itself out; and what’s more, the bush was not being consumed. Having never seen anything like it in his life, he decided to draw closer to investigate the phenomenon.

As Moses approached the bush, God knew He had Moses’ attention, so He spoke to Moses, revealing Himself and Who He is. There is no indication in Scripture that God had ever spoken to Moses prior to that day. But on that day, Moses knew that he was hearing the voice of the Lord God Jehovah.         

God desires for each and every one of His children to know Him, to know Him more and to know Him more intimately. It is God that initiates His activity. It is God’s plan that we as His children respond to Him, not the other way around. God will initiate activity in our lives to seize our attention, just as He did through the bush that day. Whether it is a circumstance we encounter, or a situation in which we find ourselves, or a word aptly spoken, or any other of the countless ways that He should choose, God will place in our path that “burning bush” that causes us to turn, walk closer and investigate further. 

Once He knows He has our attention, He will speak. As He does, He will reveal Himself, Who He is and then extend His invitation. That invitation will always entail leaving where we are and following Him in a new direction that will require increased faith. Leaving may not always mean a change of geography, but it will always mean leaving the status quo. It will always mean that your life will never be the same. You cannot encounter God and walk away unchanged. As Henry Blackaby says, “God’s invitation will require you to make an adjustment to join with Him that will lead to a crisis of belief.” That invitation will lead to a journey through the unknown.

Over five hundred years earlier, God had extended an invitation to Abraham.(2) He told Abraham to take his beloved son, Isaac, to a place He would show him, and there offer him as a burnt sacrifice to God. What Abraham did next is why God commends him for his faith. Abraham did exactly what God told him to do! Abraham knew he had heard God. (God will never leave us in any doubt on that point. If you are not sure, ask Him.) 

i often wonder, as he climbed the mountain with Isaac, as he built the altar, as he bound Isaac’s hands and feet, or as he raised the knife to cut Isaac’s throat, what questions he was asking. Then at the very last moment, God stayed his hand and provided the sacrifice. It was not solely Abraham’s action that confirmed his faith; it was also God’s response to Abraham’s faith. 

What interruption has God entrusted to you? Your only choice is to go forward by faith, trusting Him. He will use this journey, not only in your life, but also in the lives of your family members and friends. Imagine Sarah, as she watched what Abraham was doing that day. Imagine Zipporah and Jethro when Moses went home and told them what God had told him to do. Many are watching; many are waiting to see what God is going to do through your faithful obedience. He will not forsake you – no matter how things may appear. He will often allow us to come to a place in the journey where things appear to be bleak. But that is where His hand will be the most conspicuously seen. Trust Him!

Has He entrusted you with a divine interruption? You’re in good company – Moses, Abraham and all of the men and women listed in Hebrews 11 and elsewhere throughout Scripture. Trust Him. He will stay your hand … at just the right time. He will guide your steps … each and every step of the way. He will bring you to the place He intends. His plan includes the interruption … because after all, it really wasn’t an interruption … was it?

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This post is adapted from The Journey Begins, chapter 2, entitled “An Invitation To Go” This first book in the Lessons Learned In The Wilderness series is available through Amazon in print or for your e-reader. Click HERE for more information on how you can obtain your copy of the book.

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(1)  Exodus 3:1-6 (NLT)

One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he went deep into the wilderness near Sinai, the mountain of God. Suddenly, the angel of the LORD appeared to him as a blazing fire in a bush. Moses was amazed because the bush was engulfed in flames, but it didn't burn up. "Amazing!" Moses said to himself. "Why isn't that bush burning up? I must go over to see this." When the LORD saw that he had caught Moses' attention, God called to him from the bush, "Moses! Moses!" "Here I am!" Moses replied. "Do not come any closer," God told him. "Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground." Then he said, "I am the God of your ancestors--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." When Moses heard this, he hid his face in his hands because he was afraid to look at God. 

(2)  Genesis 22:1-19

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