Expecting God’s Presence in Our Everday Work
What if God showed up in your workplace today, would you notice? In this thought-provoking reflection, Georgie revisits Moses’ encounter with God in the burning bush and challenges our assumptions about where and how we meet with Him. From hospital wards to office desks, she reminds us that, through Jesus, we are invited into a deeper and more intimate relationship with God than Moses could ever have imagined, and that He is just as present in our working lives as He is in quiet moments of worship.
What was Moses doing when God appeared to him in the burning bush? Was he sitting with candles lit for ambience, coffee in hand, worship music playing softly in the background, and Bible open? In my mind, and perhaps in yours, that’s the ultimate recipe for quality time in God’s presence. But look it up – the very first words of the account in Exodus 3 tell us that Moses was looking after the sheep. In other words, working. Like us, he was in a caring role.
But before God spoke a single word to Moses, he made sure he had his attention. Hence the fire, because Moses was not expecting God to turn up in his workplace. Are you? Am I? We should be!
What might an encounter with God look like in your workplace? Hopefully, it won’t involve a burning bush because some of us work in hospitals and there’s a lot of oxygen! On a serious note, I wonder if some of us feel disappointed that God won’t turn up for us in such a way? It certainly must have been an incredible thing for Moses to experience. It’s easy to feel envious. But I want to convince you that in spite of the burning bush, the serpent staff, the water from a rock, and the parting of the Red Sea, you have so much more of God than Moses did.
You see, when God gets Moses’ attention, he tells him very clearly, ‘Do not come near’. It was a fleeting (albeit amazing) encounter in which God showed his power but forbade him from coming close. That’s because with no cleansing from his sin and no righteousness covering him, Moses was unclean. Can the same be said of you, Christian? Absolutely not. Jesus poured out his precious blood to cleanse you thoroughly from your sin. Jesus is your righteousness. That’s why it makes total sense that the Old Testament records God saying, ‘Do not come near’ while the New Testament urges us, ‘Come near to God and he will come near to you…’ (James 4:8). What’s the difference? Jesus. Emmanuel. God with us. So friend, don’t be jealous of the burning bush. When God turns up in your workplace, you won’t have to evacuate. But he does want to come – with the power of a burning flame and with an intimacy inconceivable for whichever Old Testament saint you long to be. He wants to be your Bread of Life, the Light of your world, your True Vine, your Good Shepherd. But first, he wants your attention. Are you expecting him?
About The Author
Georgie is a staff nurse working in a critical care unit in the Midlands. She is passionate about helping Christians recognise God’s presence in everyday life and encourages believers to expect to meet with Him in their workplaces as well as in church.
This article has been shared with kind permission from Christian Medical Fellowship (CMF)
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