Moses became a famous man in the land of Egypt. He was raised as the grandson of Pharaoh, the ruler of all the land. As he grew older he was well known for his wisdom and for the things he did. But when he was forty years old, he killed an Egyptian who was hurting a Hebrew man. This made Pharaoh angry and Moses had to run away into the wilderness.

There, in the land of Midian, Moses lived a very different life than he had before. Instead of being famous, now he was a stranger in a strange land.

Moses lived in Midian for forty years where he was a shepherd. He may have thought many times, Once I was part of a royal family, but now I am just a shepherd. I wonder what the future holds for me?

God had a plan for Moses. The time finally came to let Moses know about that plan. Even though Moses was far from his people and the land where he was born, God knew right where he was.

One day when Moses was tending the sheep on Mount Horeb, he saw something very strange. A bush was on fire nearby. Moses had seen things burn before, but this time it was different. The bush wasn’t burned up by the fire. This was so interesting that Moses started to walk over to get a closer look.

Then something even more strange happened. A Voice from the bush called Moses’ name! He answered, “Here am I.” It was God speaking to him from the bush! He told Moses to take off his shoes because the ground where he was standing was very special. It was holy because God was there. Imagine how Moses must have felt!

God began to talk to Moses about what was happening in Egypt. The Children of Israel were being treated very badly. They needed help. Moses may have wondered why God would appear to him in a burning bush to tell him this. Then he found out why. God wanted Moses to talk to Pharaoh about leading the Children of Israel out of Egypt!

Imagine that! To go and talk to a king about leading all the slaves out of the land would be a scary thing to do. Moses didn’t think he could do it. But God told him that He would be with him and help him. He told Moses everything he needed to know so that he could obey God.

Did you know that God has a plan for your life too? Did you know that He knows where you are right now? He has many ways of teaching you what He wants you to learn. You might not see a burning bush or hear God’s voice like Moses did. But He will always show you what He wants you to do.

Our Bible lesson explains how God called Moses, revealing to him that he was to be the man who would lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt. This was an awesome assignment, and Moses did not feel capable of performing the task. But God promised to be with him.

Explain to your child that God has a job for each one of us too. Moses received his commission out in the middle of the desert, beside a burning bush which was not consumed. God may not call us in as dramatic a way as He called Moses. But whatever our occupation, we can be used of God.

Take the Help Wanted ads of your local paper, and circle in red a number of different occupations. Discuss with your child the ways a person doing each particular job might be able to work or witness for God.

FAMILY DEVOTIONS

Verses to help your child understand this Bible lesson.