Mensa Otabil - Turning Aside to the Lord (09/29/2025)
We are looking at the call of Moses, and we are in Exodus chapter three, verse number three. Then Moses said, «I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.» Moses allowed his work to lead him to the mount of God, and at the mount of God, he saw something very unusual. He saw a bush that was on fire; the fire was burning, but the leaves were not being consumed. This was not a normal sight for Moses. He knows fire in the bush, and he knows that the fire will burn the tree and the leaves. But this time there is fire, yet there is no destruction or burning. So Moses is curious to know what is happening because this is not an everyday occurrence in his life.
If you look at it, there are two responses he could have had; somebody would have seen this and been so scared that they ran away, while another person would look at this and say, «Well, you know, it’s happening,» and move on. So there are two options, but Moses chose a third option, which I think is important for us to notice. He said, «I will now turn aside and see this great sight.» Moses had spiritual curiosity; he wanted to turn aside and see this great sight. He saw the unusual and decided to investigate it further.
We’ve often heard the statement «curiosity killed the cat.» Have you heard it before? There may be some truth in it, but really, curiosity leads to discovery. It’s important for us to have natural curiosity, but spiritually, we must also have spiritual curiosity, where we are seeking more of God. So, do you have spiritual curiosity? Do you want to know more of God? Do you inquire of the Lord? Do you seek more from the Lord? When you read the Psalms, you will see that David had spiritual curiosity: «As the deer pants after the waters, so my soul pants after you.» That is spiritual curiosity.
It’s important that when we see something we don’t understand, we run to the Lord. That’s what Moses is doing; he sees something that is strange and says, «Let me go closer; let me find out what’s going on.» When God gives you a special experience, do you draw closer to Him as a result of that experience? When God delivers you from calamity, do you ask the Lord why He delivered you? When God blesses you and things are going well in your life, you’re getting promoted and everything is going smoothly, do you pause to find out what’s going on? What is God telling me? What is God revealing to me?
Many times, things happen in our lives, and we just observe them and move on, or things occur that are undesirable, and we don’t even want to know any more about them. However, God has a purpose for everything that happens in our lives. So when you see the unusual in your life, when the fire is burning but the bush is not consumed, when you are getting blessed and you don’t even know why, pause and ask yourself, «What is God telling me? Does God have a message here for me?» Turn aside and see the great sight that the Lord is showing you.
In our walk with God, we must be careful not to take our experiences for granted, nor should we overlook spiritual experiences. We must inquire to know the mind and will of God concerning the things that happen all around us. As we draw close to the Lord, we learn more from Him. So not only did Moses lead his flock to the mount of the Lord, but he also had spiritual curiosity. May the Lord give each one of us spiritual curiosity. Let’s pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, draw me close to Yourself. Help me to seek more of You in every area of my life. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.» Well, we’ve learned about it; let’s have spiritual curiosity. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.