The Burning Bush Still Burns: Unclaimed Anointings and Supernatural Positioning

In the vast expanse of the Midian desert, a shepherd named Moses encountered something that would forever alter the trajectory of his life—a bush that burned but was not consumed. What's remarkable about this moment isn't just the miracle itself, but a profound truth that resonates across the centuries: the fire was already burning before Moses noticed it.

This simple observation carries staggering implications for our spiritual lives today. God is already moving. The Holy Spirit is already working. The anointing is already present. We just need to turn aside and see.

When God Positions You for Purpose

The story of Moses at the burning bush reveals a divine pattern of how God orchestrates circumstances to position His people for their calling. Moses didn't stumble upon that bush by accident. Every disappointment, every detour, every seemingly mundane moment of leading sheep on the backside of the desert was God strategically placing him exactly where he needed to be.

Consider the story of Peter, a talented soccer player in Fiji who had the world at his feet. Professional sports could have been his ticket to prosperity and recognition. But something stirred in his spirit—a divine restlessness that wouldn't let him settle for what looked good when God had something greater in mind.

When Peter stepped away from soccer, he didn't yet know what God wanted him to do. He just knew he needed to be available. Through a season of COVID restrictions, financial uncertainty, and his wife faithfully making and selling samosas (not mimosas!) for forty cents each, God was positioning him. Two years of Bible school later, Peter found himself pastoring a church strategically located among four large Indo-Fijian communities—communities perfectly suited to a Fijian man who grew up playing soccer, the sport beloved by the Indian population.

God's positioning isn't always comfortable, but it's always purposeful.

The Power of Turning Aside

Exodus 3:4 contains a pivotal phrase: "When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush."

God speaks when we're ready to hear. The burning bush represents those moments when God captures our attention—a missions service, a stirring in our spirit during worship, a burden that won't release us. These are divine invitations to step closer, to pay attention, to let God speak into our lives.

When we turn aside from our routine, from our comfort, from our plans, we position ourselves to hear God's voice with clarity. Moses could have kept walking, dismissing the burning bush as a trick of the desert heat. But he turned aside, and in that moment of curiosity and surrender, God began to reveal His plan.

Take Off Your Shoes: The Test of Small Things

God's first instruction to Moses seems almost trivial: "Take off your shoes."

Why would the Creator of the universe care about footwear? Because God tests our willingness to do the small, uncomfortable things before entrusting us with the significant.

When you remove your shoes, you become acutely aware of where you're walking. Every pebble, every uneven surface demands your attention. Suddenly, you're careful about each step. This is precisely what God desires—that we walk with intentional awareness of His leading, careful to step where He directs.

The steps of a righteous person are ordered by the Lord, but only when we're sensitive enough to feel where we're walking.

The Supernatural in Your Hand

Perhaps the most powerful moment in Moses' encounter comes when God asks, "What is that in your hand?"

A staff. Just a shepherd's rod. A tool of his trade. Something ordinary, common, utilitarian.
"Throw it down," God commands.

When Moses releases what he's been holding, something supernatural happens—the staff becomes a serpent. But here's the key: When you give God the tangible, natural things you possess, He transforms them into supernatural instruments of His power.

The same principle appears in the feeding of the five thousand. A boy's small lunch—five loaves and two fish—becomes a feast for thousands when placed in Jesus' hands. But notice what happens next: Jesus doesn't keep the multiplied food. He blesses it, breaks it, and gives it back to the disciples to distribute.

The miracle doesn't happen in Jesus' hands alone. It happens in the hands of the disciples as they step out in faith, breaking off pieces and watching the bread remain, feeding person after person until thousands are satisfied with twelve baskets left over.
God doesn't need what you have. You need to give it to Him so He can multiply it and give it back to you for Kingdom purposes.

Pick It Up: Claiming Your Anointing

After the staff becomes a serpent, God gives Moses an instruction that requires even more faith: "Pick it up by the tail."

Anyone with basic knowledge knows you don't pick up a snake by its tail—that's the dangerous end! But God was teaching Moses (and us) a crucial lesson: The supernatural blessing isn't just in the giving; it's in the taking back up and using what God has transformed.

This is where many believers miss their moment. Altars across the world are littered with what might be called "unclaimed anointings"—prayers prayed, commitments made, staffs thrown down—but never picked back up. People experience the supernatural touch of God, but when He asks them to pick up the anointing and use it for His purposes, fear or doubt holds them back.

There's a beautiful story of a man who borrowed an axe, but through carelessness, the axe head fell into the water and sank. The prophet Elisha threw a stick into the water, and miraculously, the iron axe head floated. But then came the crucial instruction: "Take it up."
The miracle happened. The impossible became possible. But it would have been worthless if the man hadn't reached out and claimed what God had supernaturally provided.

The Multiplication Principle

When we give God what's in our hands—our finances, our time, our talents, our plans—He doesn't just bless it and keep it. He multiplies it and returns it to us as instruments of blessing to others.

One couple attending a conference felt led to pledge a significant amount to missions—more than they'd ever given before. Then the speaker said, "Double it." With hearts pounding and faith stretching, they committed to the doubled amount, not knowing how they'd fulfill it.

Within 24 hours, they received a phone call. Someone who didn't know about their pledge had just discovered a tax situation that required them to donate to charity rather than pay the government. The amount? Exactly what the couple had pledged, to the dollar.
When you take the natural and give it to God, it becomes supernatural in His hands.

The Bush Is Still Burning
According to recent statistics, approximately 290,000 people received the Holy Ghost in global missions last year. The book of Acts isn't just history—it's happening every single day around the world. The burning bush is still burning. The Spirit is still moving. God is still positioning people for supernatural purposes.

Churches are being planted in remote islands. Young girls who couldn't afford school are being fed and educated by pastors who picked up their anointing. Communities that have never heard the Gospel are encountering the power of God—all because someone turned aside, took off their shoes, threw down their staff, and picked up the supernatural anointing God offered them.

The question isn't whether God is moving. The question is: Will you turn aside and see? Will you take off your shoes and walk carefully where He leads? Will you throw down what's in your hand and trust Him with it? And when He transforms it and gives it back, will you pick it up and use it for His glory?

The burning bush is before you. The anointing is available. The supernatural demonstration is ready to flow.

All that remains is for you to claim it.