| Take Your Shoes Off - article by Joel Hempel
Wherever you are at this moment, take off your shoes. You are on holy ground! In the Book of Exodus, we have the story of God calling Moses to go back to Egypt and rescue the people of Israel from slavery. As you might remember, Moses left Egypt as a wanted man, having murdered an Egyptian who had been beating a Hebrew. Moses traveled far away to Midian, where he met the woman who would become his wife. Together they had two sons. Moses settled down to raise a family and shepherd his father-in-law’s sheep. Then, out of this relatively comfortable lifestyle, God called Moses: The angel of the LORD appeared to [Moses] in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. . . Then [God] said, ‘Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground’ (Exodus 3:2,5). We can only imagine how hard it was for Moses to believe what he saw and heard. Moses first had to get past the “impossibility” of what he was experiencing. At this point in Moses’ life, he was like one of us – just a man living a normal life, working an ordinary job, and supporting his family. Then, suddenly, a burning bush is talking to him. Once he realized it was God speaking to him, he had to grapple with the next unbelievable life challenge: Return to Egypt, represent ME, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; confront Pharoh, and tell him to let my people go! Believing is not easy. Because to believe, to really believe, means you will be different. You will live differently, talk differently, act differently. Belief changes lives! Believing is seeing. God-given belief shows you what is possible. But believing is often preceded by resisting. Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? I am only a man, an ordinary shepherd on the run from the law. Lord, get someone more holy than I. Besides, I’m not a good talker (Exodus 3:11; 4:1,10,13). So, Moses tries to build a case not only for himself but for all of us. If it works for him, then all of us can justify why we can’t do what God wants us to do. But none of Moses’ excuses work (4:12, 14-17). God wanted him. God wants you! Whatever you are facing in your life, you can do it. Not because you are you. But because God is with you. Whether or not you take off your shoes, please know with certainty that you are on holy ground. The God of our fathers and mothers, the God who parted the Red Sea, is taking part in your life. Where you are walking and what you are dealing with may not always feel like holy ground. But believing IS seeing! We can trust God’s Word: I am with you always (Matt. 28:20). | 
