The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1911-02-03
SATURDAY NIGHT
NXN,.NSEPMONS
,WsA H
. REvSAflUEL
WpURvTSDl
TIE BUSH AFLAME WITH GOD.

graduate work. Luther IL first a back
woodsman monk Columbus weaves
rugs. First India missionary Is Carey.l
the cobbler God takes negro boy
and puts him at 1'uskcgcc. An unsuc-l
cessful tanner becomes u great gen
erni. He takes boy born In poverty,
raised In obscurity, uncouth, ungainly,
and makes Lincoln of him. He
picks Moses, slave child out OF the
Nile puts him in kings palace to
learn statecraft, then sends him back .
OF the desert to learn worldcraft. J.
There he cares for cattle, shears sheep,
weaves wool, learns the stars, beasts,
birds, trees and bushes In the great
university of outdoors. He sweats at
common toll. How the Bible glorlfies
laborl Amos, the farmer; David, the
shepherd; Elisha, the plowman; Gid
con, the thrasher; SAUL the drover;
Peter, the fisherman; Paul. the tent.
maker; Christ, the carpenter. The
kingdom OF heaven is easier to busy
man than to an idle one.
The Burning Bush. 4
One evening Moses Is coming home
along the edge of the desert with
his sheep He's man now, matured
by sad experience. Eyes full OF
mighty, deep, heart hunger. Fore.
head lined with questions yet un-
answered. The yearnings Of forty
years pent up In his soul No vision
yet Of God No light along his sky
line, A third Of life gone, old age
creeping on apace. He has staked his
all on Jehovah's being God, and
there's been no answer. Tonight he's
coming along the side of Mount Horeb,
He's trOdden it for years. It's toward
evening The suns going down rap
idly in the west. Shadows are length
ening. Dusk and gloom Of evening
on forest and mountain, and in the
fields Of Jethro, way off yonder I'm
the valley the sheep are bleating.
The smell Of the flock is heavy in the
damp evening air The cry of jackal
is heard way up on the hill. An owl
boots mournfully In the tall cedars
near the summit. Suddenly In the
quiet of this familiar trail he stops.
Look at that acacia bush up there!
Is 1t the CLINT of the evening sun?
He's seen that very bush scores OF
times, but never like that. Why, it's
on fret Yes. 1t burns. But look!
Faith Of the fathers, it is not con
sumed! 1t IS q critical moment for
the lonely shepherd. Moses turns
aside to look. And as he turns the
world turns with him.
The Voice.
Then the Voice speaks to him. "Put
of thy shoes" Reverence to start
with-a lost art today People don't
even bow their heads in Gods house.
OF course God doesn't speak to them,
and they see no flame. The mountain
might blaze like Vesuvius, but they
wouldn't be impressed. They might
look, but they wouldn't see. There's
a difference between looking and see
ing. Some people look at the sun set,
others see the sunset
Earth's crammed with heaven.
And every bush afiame with God.
But only those who see take off their shoes.
Moses saw the bush, and 1t burned
In his brain from that day till the one
"by Ncbo's lonely mountain" when he
heard the same voice calling. "Moses.
Mosesr' Has God sent you back OF
Horeb, brother? Kept you there with
out vision of better things? Same old
task. same old path, lots Of thorn
bushes. but none on fire? "Now.
preacher, l know what you are going
to say. but I've missed 1t. I've been
to the church. I've gone through the
Bible even. But I've gone by the
place. It's too late in the day for me-"
guess that's what Moses thought.
Many long day and year he had
trudged along this very road. When
suddenly one year. one day, one hour,
one particular moment he lifted up
his eyes, and 10. there was God!
Today's Call.
Has the fame died out and the voice
ceased? Or is God still near? Pos
sibly the vision is daily, commonplace.
Maybe we are up looking at the bush
Kicking at its roots with our heavy
heels, measuring at its height, pinch
ing the berries, nipping of a leaf,
feeling the point Of thorn with our
thumb. Yes, we know this bush-it's
an acacia, sure; botanically, it's a
"leguminosa." Meanwhile the ether ia
a-quiver and the atmosphere is vibrant
with the unconsumed power. Yes. the
church Is built Of wood and stone The
Bible is the same binding and print
as any other book. And Christ came
baby, like your own, my good moth
er. Is that our view of The bush? God
be patient! There's a trick of the eye
In looking, men. That's an abomina-
ton to the Lord. Has your vision
failed? Is the God OF the bush no
more? Is he the God of the ancients
only? No! AS Jehovah-Jireh liveth,
no! He's not the God Of the dead only,
though their name be Abram, Isaac,
Jacob and Moses. Is he the God of
the fathers? Then by the living bush
he Is the God OF the sons! Now are
we the sons of God! Be not dlsheart-
ened, brother; soon you may see the
bush afiame with God, and voice
calling for you as the voice called
Abraham! Moses! Samuel! David.