New Year Devotions

Pay Attention

Exodus 3:1–5 — Moses turns aside to look.

In today’s passage, we find Moses catching sight of the burning bush. But unlike Dr. Watson in the famous words of Sherlock Holmes—“You see, but you do not observe”—Moses does more than simply notice. He truly observes. The Hebrew phrasing suggests both “to turn aside from” and “to turn aside to,” indicating not just a change of direction, but a deliberate shift of attention.

In other words, Moses chooses to focus on what matters. He steps away from the ordinary and stands on holy ground.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Turning to Jesus also requires a holy reorientation—leaving behind the former way of life and receiving a new identity and purpose through union with Christ.

Imagine walking through a crowded marketplace, noise and movement all around you. Suddenly, you hear your name spoken softly—so softly that you could ignore it if you wished. But something in that voice makes you turn aside. When you look, you realise the one calling you is someone who loves you deeply. In the swirl of distractions, that single moment of turning becomes the beginning of a new direction.

This is what Moses experienced at the bush—and what we experience whenever Christ calls us to turn toward Him.

Lord, help us to turn aside from the noise and distractions of life and to turn toward You with attentive hearts. Give us eyes that observe, not just see, and lead us onto the holy ground of Your presence. Make us new creations in Christ, shaped by Your purpose and guided by Your love. Amen.

Practice: Notice one thing you usually miss.