The Vine: September 30, 2026
Our fresh take on The Vine, a devotional based on the upcoming Sunday’s sermon. This is a tool for you to dive deep into specific verses of scripture and get acquainted with spiritual practices. This iteration of The Vine pairs perfectly with the pastors’ “First Glance Podcast.” The Vine: First Glance Podcast is when the pastors sit down to discuss the scripture for the upcoming sermon. It is a wonderful opportunity to prepare your mind and heart for the week ahead. We invite you to make this a part of your individual spiritual growth throughout the week.
“But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ God answered, ‘I will be with you.’”
Exodus 3:11–12a
Moses was not doing anything remarkable the day God showed up. He was tending sheep in the wilderness—work he had been doing for 40 years, on the far side of the desert, a safe place for a fugitive who had fled Egypt.
Then Moses noticed a bush that was burning but was not consumed. Exodus 3:3 says that Moses “turned aside to look at this great sight.” That turning aside is everything. The bush had been burning before Moses saw it and God was present before Moses turned. What changed was not God's presence—it was Moses's attention and awareness.
When Moses turns aside to see what God is doing, God begins telling Moses what God has seen: “I have observed the misery of my people...I have heard their cry...I know their sufferings.” Moses notices God, and then God teaches Moses to notice what God notices. Perhaps that is still how calling begins. We turn aside long enough to become aware of God’s presence, and then God opens our eyes to the people and places where love, mercy, and courage are needed.
These were not the words of a distant God watching from afar but a compassionate God who sees, hears, knows—and a caring God who acts to save his people. The good news of deliverance would have moved Moses with gratitude and joy—until he heard these words: “So I am sending you!”
Moses's response was completely understandable: “Who am I that I should go?” He was 80 years old and “slow of speech.” He was a fugitive. He had been tending sheep in the wilderness for four decades. By every human measure, he was the wrong person for the job.
Interestingly, God does not reassure Moses that he is more capable than he thinks. He doesn’t list Moses's qualifications or remind him of his potential. He simply says: “I will be with you.” Moses was asking the wrong question. The question was not, “Who am I?” but “Who is God?” And God’s answer was simple: “I will be with you.” In the end, that is all Moses needed to know—and so do we.
Most of us have asked Moses's question. Sometimes when we feel the pull of a calling, a need, or a nudge toward something that seems far beyond us, our first response is “Who am I?” We list our inadequacies, failures, age, and limitations. But God's answer remains unchanged: “I will be with you.” The call is never about our sufficiency. It is always about God’s presence.
Frederick Buechner wrote, “There is no event so commonplace but that God is present within it, always hiddenly, always leaving you room to recognize him or not to recognize him.” Moses could have treated the burning bush as just another curiosity in an ordinary day. Instead, he turned aside to look. And because he did, nothing was ever the same.
The question is not whether God is present in the ordinary moments of our lives. He is. The question is whether we are paying attention—and whether, like Moses, we are willing to turn aside and look. The bush is still burning.
Spiritual Practice: Noticing
Once each day this week, pause what you are doing and look around. Ask God: “Where are you already at work here?” God rarely announces himself loudly. He burns quietly and waits to be noticed.
One Thing: Turn Aside
Choose one ordinary moment this week—your morning coffee, a walk, a meal with a loved one—and treat it as holy ground. Remove your sandals, so to speak. Slow down. Pay attention. Give thanks for the gift of God’s presence.
Questions for Consideration:
1. Moses turned aside to look at the burning bush. What ordinary moments in your life might God be using to get your attention? What would it look like to turn aside and look more carefully?
2. God told Moses he had seen the misery, heard the cry, and known the suffering of his people—and then sent Moses to respond. What suffering or struggle moves your soul? How might God be wanting to send you?
3. Moses asked “Who am I?” and God answered “I will be with you.” Where in your own life are you asking the wrong question—focusing on your inadequacy rather than God's presence? What would change if you trusted that God goes with you?
PREVIOUS WEEKS
To view all previous devotions go to https://fumc-rr.org/the-vine