When the Fire Does Not Consume: My Burning Bush Moment with Cancer Exodus 3:2 by Dr. Terry Harman

Moses kneels before the Burning Thorn Bush.

“God does not always extinguish the fire, but He always reveals Himself in it.”

Exodus 3:2 JPS 1917

"And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed."

Encountering Potential Destruction

When Moses was tending the flocks of his father-in-law Jethro, it appears he wandered off his path near Mount Horeb. Did one of the animals wander away from the flock? Was Moses struggling with his new reality as a shepherd? Was he deep in thought now that he was forever banished from Egypt? Was Moses distracted by a sound? Scripture does not provide any insight.

We learn first, "An angel of the Lord appeared" to Moses. However, Moses did not "hear" the voice of God until he first encountered an unexpected, destructive, life-threatening deterrent - thorns and fire!

And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said: ‘I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.’ And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said: ‘Moses, Moses.’ And he said: ‘Here am I’ (Exodus 3:2-4 JPS 1917).

What I find fascinating is that the Hebrew meaning of the English word "angel" used in verse two is mal'ak. Mal'ak is a "messenger," or "representative" of the Lord. Did Moses "see" an angel-like figure, or was the thorn bush burning the "messenger" from the Lord?

Moses had no idea that a single burning bush would change everything. The fire in that bush burned bright and fierce, yet the bush was not consumed. It was an unexpected and abnormal scene; holy ground illuminated by a fire that refused to be destructive. There, the Lord spoke. There, Moses discovered that what might be perceived as destruction or death was an opportunity for divine revelation.

Cancer My Burning Thorn Bush

Over the past twelve months, as I’ve faced my own diagnosis of cancer and treatment, I have come to understand the story of the burning thorn bush in a way I never had before. Cancer has a way of feeling like a destructive, unpredictable fire, consuming, painful. A thorn bush meant to tear and destroy. At first, I asked the same questions Moses did: Why me? Who am I to bear this? How can I possibly carry out the ministry You’ve given me, Lord, in this condition? How can I continue traveling with the life-size Tabernacle and open the biblical museum you laid upon my heart?

Yet in that question-filled silence, God’s voice began to whisper - not in thunder, but through the steady flame of His presence living with the thought of cancer and possible death. I watched my own “bush” burn: my plans, my energy, my strength. But day after day, something deeper refused to be consumed. "You have called me to do the uncommon. The task is consuming and beyond my resources and finances."

Cancer Became My Confirmation

Hope would flicker again. The sense of calling rose from the ashes. I realized that this was not God abandoning me in the fire; it was God revealing Himself through it. Conquering cancer would be my messenger from the Lord - a fire in the midst of thorns that would confirm the Lord would also guide me to continue the Tabernacle and build the museum.

Just as Moses realized the sight of fire and the heat on his face was also the sign of the Lord's presence, I began to see that my endurance was not my own. I had a peace that was beyond understanding. Every injection, radiation, test result, every long night, every uncertain conversation became another confirmation that the Lord still had something to say through me. The miracle was not the absence of fire and thorns; it was the presence of the Lord in it.

Cancer Clarifies Mission

That burning bush did more than get Moses’ attention; it clarified his mission. In my case, cancer became the unexpected messenger that refined the path of ministry. It pressed me to speak more honestly about faith, suffering, and the mystery of God’s sustaining grace. It has inspired me to dream even larger dreams of the Tabernacle and the biblical museum. The flame and thorns that should have destroyed me have become a path for illuminating my next steps.

Cancer Refocuses Attention

Now, when I picture that bush and thorns, I no longer focus on the fire. I see the unconsumed branches and thorns that do not puncture but the life, the purpose, the divine call that outlasts affliction. The Lord never promised Moses that the journey would be easy, only that He would be with him every step of the way. That same promise stands beside anyone walking through their own fire and thorns.

If you find yourself facing flames and thorns that feel too hot to handle, remember: the presence of the Lord is often found not in the absence of pain, but in the midst of the pain. The bush may burn, and thorns may sting, but you will not be consumed.