In the book of Exodus chapter 3 we find one of the great moments of all of scripture.  It is the account where Moses who is tending sheep in a nowhere place in the desert meets God.  Here is what it says, "There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. ^ So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight-why the bush does not burn up."

^When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!"

And Moses said, "Here I am."

^ "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."

Today in the second day of our corporate time of prayer and fasting we are making a statement about our willingness to Turn Aside from our lives and the distractions that we face and meet with God.  Look a little closer with me at this encounter.  First see that after Moses had blown it in Egypt and had murdered an Egyptian, God had not forgotten him. In fact God arranged this encounter. There is no sign in this context that Moses was looking for God, but there is an obvious sign that God was looking for Moses.  God was drawing Moses back to Him and to the life that God had planned out for Moses.  We are the same way.  We must remember that God wants us so much more than we even want Him.  He has arranged this time of encounter, He is the one that is drawing us from within the burning bush, He is the one who is saying I am calling your name will you here it?   That is really exciting stuff as we say to the Lord I see you, I hear you calling me closer to you. 

The second area that should not be overlooked in this encounter is that fact that when Moses turned aside and heard God speak from the burning bush, Moses responded and said "Here I am" something supernatural takes place.  The next words that God tells Moses are this, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is Holy Ground" Wow!  This moment with God, this place with God becomes a Holy point of God speaking with Moses and not only setting the ground as Holy, but also setting apart Moses as Holy.  We don't easily associate our lives with God's Holiness, but God does.  Every time we will turn aside, every time we will surrender, every time we will say yes to His voice it becomes a Holy Thing.  So here on the second day of our corporate fast, a time where we are asking God to give us the life we've always wanted. During this time that we are turning aside to meet with God,   I have a word for you, "Take off your shoes, you are on Holy Ground."