I read it in yesterday's reading from the "Daily Bible." Such a simple little phrase...and yet oh so powerful. A phrase with the potential to transform TODAY not only your attitude, your perspective, your agenda, and even your energy level, but also to give you radical joy and hope no matter how pressure packed or challenging your circumstances.
What that's kryptonite phrase, you ask? First let me set the scene. Moses has been living in the wilds of Midian for 40 years after fleeing the Pharaoh's wrath for killing an Egyptian. Moses, the former hotshot adopted son of Pharaoh's daughter now resides in the middle of nowhere, tending sheep for a living. And one day, Moses the nobody sees a mighty strange sight--a bush that's on fire, yet is not being consumed. Go figure, right?
But Moses has got sheep to tend, a family to support, and endless things on his shepherding to-do list that must be accomplished before this day is over. So he shrugs and says, "Huh. Interesting," before hurrying off after his sheep.
Ah no. That is not what happened. Instead we're told (and drum roll, please, because here's the phrase), "And Moses said, 'I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned up." (Ex.3:3)
Hey Moses, what ya doing? You've got no time to waste on frivolous "turning asides." Those sheep are disappearing around the bend. You need to hurry, hurry, hurry to catch up! You've surely got far more pressing concerns than to waste your time "turning aside" just to stare at some burning bush in the middle of nowhere. Moses, what on earth would the Midian time management gurus say? Stay on task. Keep busy. Keep moving. Check your cell phone. Peruse the internet. But for goodness sakes, don't pause to ponder...or to wonder...or worst of all, to worship.
Praise God Moses didn't heed our culture's siren call to stay relentlessly occupied and entertained. Nope, he hit the pause button and took the time, in the midst of the wilderness, to "turn aside to see this great sight."
And then here's the really cool part, for we're told, "When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush." (Ex.3:4) The omnipotent Maker of heaven and earth, the eternal Lord, the Almighty God spoke directly to Moses when Moses did one simple thing: paused to turn aside and see.
Such a simple but profound lesson--if we want to be increasingly transformed into the image of our Redeemer and if we want to be men and women of indomitable hope, joy, wisdom and love, well then we've got to choose, choose, choose daily to set aside the urgent in favor--first and foremost--of the supremely important.
We've got to shelve--just for a little bit of time--the cell phones and to-do lists and urgent tasks that need doing...and take a deep breath, pause and turn aside to see the Savior in His Word. As Gordon Macdonald puts its in his powerful book The Resilient Life, "Character is developed--for believers anyway--when we let the Scripture inform us. We are what we permit to enter the deepest parts of our soul. A steady diet of television, cheap publications and shallow literature will make us dreadfully inadequate people. A daily exposure to the Scripture and to literature that focuses on Scripture is a necessary part of the diet."
But it's not just turn aside to the Word--though that's our top priority. We also need to turn aside to really see and savor God's glorious creation. Don't just let that sunrise pass you by unnoticed and unappreciated. Cultivate the wonder of a child to see it with astonishment and gratitude. God has given you another morning...and this new morning begins with an astounding show of beauty as the sun rises yet again in all it's splendor. Don't miss it. Then look from the beauty of that creation to trace it straight back to the Creator and Giver of all good gifts. (James 1:17) As C.S. Lewis says, "One's mind runs back up the sunbeam to the sun." That sunrise is an opportunity to rejoice and declare "Great is Thy faithfulness, Father!"
And, of course, turn aside to love--really love--appreciate, and enjoy the people the Lord has so graciously placed in your life. Oh my, maybe I'm all alone on this, but me and my busy, self-focused, distracted self needs to be reminded of this day after day. That to-do list will always be there...these irreplaceable loved ones will not. Turn aside to love and serve and savor them like Jesus loves you.
Like I said, a simple phrase, but oh my, how much hangs in the balance if we will simply, daily choose to turn aside. Turn aside to our Savior, to His creation, to His children. Turn aside to ponder, to wonder, to worship, to savor, and to love. Turn aside today.
To God be the glory.
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