shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God o f thy father, the God of Abraham, the God o f Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God” (Exodus 3:4-6). God had something to say to Moses, and I think that it must have been some thing like this: “Moses, you have done a wise thing in making intelligent inquiry, for you thought that this was a very remarkable bush. You thought that there must be something about it at once peculiar and wonderful, something unique, that it could burn and bum and bum, and go on burning, and yet not burn itself out. But you are wrong — you are quite wrong! Do you see that bush over there? That scruffy, scraggy looking thing — that bush would have done! Do you see this beautiful look ing bush, so shapely and fine — this bush would have done! For you see, Moses, any old bush will do — any old bush — if only God is in the bush! But you burned yourself out in 24 hours, and you have been a heap of ashes for forty years! I f this bush that you have admired were depending upon its own substance to sustain the flame, it too would burn itself out in 24 hours; it too would be a heap of ashes like you. But it is not the bush that sus tains the flame, it is God in the bush; and any old bush will do!” Did you ever make this discovery? Have you ever come to the place where you realize that all you can produce, at your best, is ashes? Did you ever come to the place where you presented your self for what you are — nothing — to be filled with what He is — everything — and to step out into every new day, conscious that the eternal I AM is all you need, for all His will! This is the forgotten tense of the Church of Jesus Christ today. We live either in the past tense or in the future tense. We say either “ Ebenezer— hitherto hath the Lord helped us,” or we comfort ourselves with “Maranatha — Behold the Lord cometh,” — but we forget that He is the eternal I AM, the eternal present tense, adequate right now for every need! If you are born again, all you need is what you have, and what you have is what He is. He does not give you strength — He is your strength. He does not give you victory — He is your victory. Do you understand the principle? Christ is in you — nothing less than that. You cannot have more, and you do not need to have less, and every day can be the glorious fulfillment o f the divine end — “ Proving what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will o f God,” as you present your body a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Only remember this — any old bush will do! Excerpts from Chapter 5 o f The Saving L ife o f Christ, by Major W. Ian Thomas. Published by permission of Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
been a heap o f ashes for forty years since. There must be something very unusual about that bush, something very unique! It must be a very wonder ful bush!” And Moses said, “ I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.” Aroused within his heart there was a holy curiosity, and he did a very wise thing — he made intelligent inquiry and, in consequence, he made very wonderful discovery! Moses said, “ I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called' unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses.” God called him by name! When did God call him? While he stood admiring at a distance? No, God never said a word then — but “when he turned aside to see,” God called! Maybe you are wondering why it is that you have never had an urgent sense o f call; why in your Christian life there is no real driving sense of direction; why you do not have a deep spirit- bom conviction of the purpose for which you have ben redeemed; why it is you drift, and live with no target in view! Maybe it is because you never took time out to find the reason why! When Moses turned aside to see, God called him — by name! Judged by purely human standards, you may be highly qualified for Christian service, and yet go out into the oblivion of spiritual uselessness. No matter to what distinction you may attain in this world, no matter how much you may be ac claimed by your fellow men, no matter how gifted you may be, it is tragically possible for you to go down in the annals of spiritual history as one of those who did not count, either for God or man — and do you know why? Because you never took time out to find the reason why God uses men! You have been too busy, and you never turned aside to see, and God was silent. He never called you by name! And as God called, Moses said, “Here am I. And [God] said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy
Major Ian Thomas, D.S.O..T.D., is director of the Torchbearers’ Fellowship, Capemwray Hall, Camforth, Eng.
His messages have been a great blessing to multitudes around the world.
OCTOBER, 1966
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