God Meets Us on the Far Side of the Wilderness

Devotional

Day 1: Sheep, Flames, and the Far Side of Enough

Moses led his flock to the far side of the wilderness—a place of isolation and obscurity. At 80 years old, he tended sheep on a mountain called Horeb (“Wasteland”), far from Egypt’s power or society’s approval. Yet God met him there through a burning bush, not in a temple or palace. The flames revealed a God who chooses the overlooked and underqualified. When we feel exiled to life’s “far sides,” God ignites purpose in the very places we assume disqualify us. [30:19]

“Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him 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.”
(Exodus 3:1-2, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you feel “on the far side” of purpose or belonging? How might God be using that very place to get your attention?

Day 2: Wasteland Mountain and the God Who Names

Horeb—the “Mountain of Wasteland”—became holy ground when God spoke. Names matter: Moses’ self-doubt (“Who am I?”) collided with God’s eternal name (“I AM”). Our insecurities shrink before the God who redefines deserts as sanctuaries. When we fixate on our inadequacy, God redirects us to His sufficiency. The bush still burns where we least expect it. [31:08]

“God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: “I AM has sent me to you.”’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.”
(Exodus 3:14-15, ESV)

Reflection: What false name (“not enough,” “too late,” “unqualified”) have you believed? How does “I AM” rewrite that story?

Day 3: Nursing Babies and Holy Ground

Eugene Peterson redirected a struggling scholar to see nursing her infant as spiritual discipline. Like Moses at the bush, holiness hides in ordinary obedience. We chase grand gestures for God, yet He meets us in daily rhythms: feeding children, tending flocks, surviving deserts. The far side becomes holy when we pay attention. [50:10]

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
(Colossians 3:23-24, ESV)

Reflection: What routine task feels spiritually insignificant? How might God be inviting you to “be present” there as worship?

Day 4: Chasing Cores or Abiding in Christ

Gen Z’s exhaustion from endless “micro-trends” mirrors our soul’s ache to perform. Moses feared Pharaoh’s rejection; we fear missing out. But God’s call isn’t another trend to consume—it’s an invitation to abide. Identity isn’t a costume to change but a communion to inhabit. [39:25]

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches.”
(John 15:4-5, ESV)

Reflection: What “core” or role have you strained to maintain? How might abiding in Christ free you from that performance?

Day 5: For Christ or In Christ?

Mobs wife aesthetics. Coastal grandmother vibes. Even ministry achievements. All become hollow when we prioritize being for Christ over being in Christ. The burning bush reminds us: God’s presence, not our productivity, transforms wastelands. Flames don’t depend on the bush’s quality—just its availability. [51:07]

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”
(2 Corinthians 4:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you confused usefulness with union? How can you rest in being a “jar of clay” holding Christ’s light today?

Sermon Summary

Exodus 3 finds God meeting an aging shepherd on the far side of the wilderness. Mount Horeb is called the mountain of God, but its name means wasteland. God does not show up in a temple or at a religious site. God shows up on “Wasteland Mountain,” where an eighty year old man is tending his father in law’s sheep. The burning bush catches Moses’ attention, and God opens a conversation.

God has heard the cries of his people in Egypt. God now sends Moses, who fled Egypt, back there to lead those people into freedom. The call brings Moses’ insecurity into the open: doubts about his credentials, doubts about his reception, doubts about whether he is the right person at all. The far side of the wilderness may feel more comfortable than returning to Egypt.

God’s answer turns the question away from Moses’ abilities and toward God’s presence. The promise is not that Moses has enough resources tucked away somewhere. The promise is that God will go with him. God’s name, “I am who I am,” anchors the call in the one who sends him, not in the reputation of the one being sent.

The churn of trends offers another kind of wilderness. The endless stream of clothes, phrases, and ready made identities leaves people exhausted, behind, and alone. Self doubt does not disappear with age, either. The fear of not fitting can make God’s call feel like another demand to measure up.

God offers something different. God engages in relationship, receives honest responses, and commits to work through people who feel far out there. God does not simply brush Moses off. The conversation makes room for real questions. Jesus continues this pattern, gathering rough fishermen, oppressed women, and people without a penny to pinch.

The contrast between being “for Christ” and being “in Christ” brings the argument close to home. Ordinary care, even the repeated feeding of a child, can become a place of attention to God rather than an interruption to spiritual life. God does not require a better résumé before drawing near. God calls people to trust him, rest in him, and let his light shine through them to the glory of Christ.

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[27:53] - The Far Side and Moses
[29:35] - An Aging Shepherd on Wasteland Mountain
[31:28] - God Appears in the Burning Bush
[33:03] - Doubting the Call and the Credentials
[36:31] - Trends, Identity, and Isolation
[40:38] - God Promises His Presence
[42:45] - God Reveals His Name
[44:17] - God Engages, Receives, and Works Through People
[47:46] - Ordinary Care as Spiritual Discipline
[50:10] - Being in Christ Rather Than Proving Worth

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Exodus 3:1-15
“Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him 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. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.” [29:35]

2 Corinthians 4:6
“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” [52:03]

Observation questions

In Exodus 3:1–6, what is Moses doing when God gets his attention, and how does Moses respond as the encounter unfolds? [31:28]
In Exodus 3:7–10, what does God reveal about his awareness of the Israelites’ suffering, and what role does he give Moses? [32:45]
What two concerns does Moses raise in Exodus 3:11–15, and how does God respond to each one? [40:38]
In the account of Julie caring for her daughter, what repeated responsibility becomes a place for paying attention to God? [49:09]

Interpretation questions

What does God’s decision to meet Moses during an ordinary working day in the wilderness reveal about where people can encounter him? [31:21]
Why does God answer Moses’ concern about his own adequacy with a promise of presence rather than a list of Moses’ strengths? How does revealing his name further address Moses’ uncertainty? [41:01]
What does God’s willingness to continue the conversation with Moses suggest about the place of honest questions in a relationship with him? How might this help someone who feels that doubt disqualifies them? [44:57]
How does the distinction between doing things “for Christ” and living “in Christ” change the way a person understands ordinary care? How can that distinction encourage faithful service rather than withdrawal from responsibility? [50:10]

Application questions

Is there an area of your life that feels like “Wasteland Mountain”—isolated, repetitive, or insignificant? What might it look like to be open to God’s presence there without pretending that the situation is easy? [46:03]
Where are you hesitating to take a faithful step because you feel unqualified or fear how others will receive you? How might trusting God’s presence change your next step, even if the insecurity remains? [40:38]
When do trends, comparison, or pressure to fit in leave you feeling behind or unsure of who you are? What small change might help you give more attention to your relationship with God than to keeping up? [39:13]
What question or hesitation have you been reluctant to bring honestly to God? What would help you begin that conversation rather than pull away from him? [44:57]
What ordinary responsibility do you sometimes treat as an interruption to your spiritual life? How could you practice paying attention to God within that responsibility this week? [50:10]
Where has serving God started to feel like proving your worth? What might trusting and resting in Christ look like in that situation, and how could this group support you? [53:08]

Sermon Clips

33s

#TrustInGod

“And so when Moses asked, who am I? God challenges Moses play... Where Moses places his trust. see, for Moses, he wants to place his trust in himself. Who am I? But our trust can't be in me or mine or us or ours. No. The trust is only safe when it's placed in the god who will be with you.”

30s

#GodIsEverywhere

“Now it's worth pausing to point out that here, god chooses to show up not in a temple, not at a religious site. He doesn't come to a holy place. God doesn't show up to a priest or to a prophet. No. God shows up to an 80 year old man shepherding sheep at the far side of the wilderness on Mount Wasteland.”

58s

#LetYourLightShine

“Because in the end, Moses, we are simply to serve as people who let God's light shine through to the glory of god in Christ. And so this week, when you feel like you're not enough, when you worry about whether you fit, if you find yourself worried that you're not measuring up or that you gotta do something for God, Remember God's moment with Moses. For there on the far side, God invites you to place your trust in him, to find your rest in him to his glory.”

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