A Consuming Fire

It's winter. Everything and everyone is trying to keep warm in the frigid temperatures. These days, there's nothing that restores me more than relaxing next to my fireplace after a busy day. This welcoming hearth also reminds me of the enduring heart of God and helps me to put everything back into perspective.

Indeed, in a controlled environment, a fire can be very attractive - so much so that we often forget the inherent danger it possesses. When boundaries are removed, though, fire inevitably spreads quickly to cause destruction and death. It makes all the difference who has control.

The Bible often uses the imagery of fire to teach important principles about God. In Deuteronomy 4:24, we are warned clearly that 'the Lord your God is a consuming fire'. The Israelites knew very well that this didn't refer to a warm hearth on a cold day, however. It meant a raging, blazing, spreading inferno. A fearful concept. So many people in today's postmodern world are attracted to the warmth and light of God, yet are reluctant to allow Him and His absolute Truth to consume them. They prefer to experience the comfort of God in a fireplace, where His warmth can be enjoyed while His burning power is controlled. As true Christians, we need to release control back to God - to allow His holy, consuming fire to penetrate our beings so He can show His power and accomplish His agenda. Wow - that's a tall order. To start, let's explore some of the characteristics of fire.

Fire brings light. Ephesians 5:8, 11, 13 says “for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. [For] all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light.” Allowing the light from God's fire to completely expose us is a high price to pay for many - we somehow feel entitled to our privacy. Yet if we truly desire for God's light to shine out from us, it must be penetrating every closet of our hearts.

Fire melts and molds. I know how easy it is to develop a cold, hard heart - hurt, bitterness and unforgiveness can slowly seep into our lives until all feeling is gone. God's consuming fire wants to melt your heart back into its original tender state and mold it into the image of Jesus.

Fire burns. We all enjoy warm weather, and we've all experienced at some time the discomfort of a sunburn when we've enjoyed a bit too much of it. As God's fire melts and molds, it also will burn - burn up our flesh, our selfish desires, our secret motives. Warning - we're getting pretty close to the heat now, and it's going to make us uncomfortable. We read about God's Judgement Day in I Corinthians 3:11-13:  "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is." Typically substances that can withstand heat like gold, silver and gems are the ones that are more costly. We need to be prepared to live sacrificially in order to further His Kingdom.

Fire purifies and refines. Even valuable material like gold and silver contain impure elements that need to be removed. Zechariah 13:9 alludes to this:  "I will bring [My people] through the fire; will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; and each one will say, 'The Lord is my God.'" We need to daily ask God to refine our offerings to Him by searching our hearts and burning away anything impure.

Fire stimulates growth. This is the best part! Just as a prairie fire burns away the overgrowth to return nutrients to the soil for seed germination, you'll begin to experience new growth in your life when you allow God's consuming fire to take control. He'll birth dreams and blaze trails that would never have been possible had you confined Him to just the fireplace. You also won't be able to stop sparks from flying into the paths of others as you go about your routine - but it won't matter anymore. This fire is now out of your control.

It's still pretty cold out there - but may the below zero temperatures remind us of the state of our hearts, as well as a world in need of God's consuming fire.

Ruth-Ellen W.