The fire

The finest steel has to go through the hottest fire. (Richard M. Nixon)

My brothers and sisters, you will have many kinds of trouble. But this gives you a reason to be very happy. You know that when your faith is tested, you learn to be patient in suffering. If you let that patience work in you, the end result will be good. You will be mature and complete. You will be all that God wants you to be. (James 1:2-4)

While none of us actually wants to embrace the 'furnace' of trials and troubles of all kinds, it is actually how we realize the greatest growth in our faith and inner character. Be that what it may be, we don't usually run right into the face of trials and get all up in their grill, so to speak. We actually might just want to turn tail and run when we see them coming - especially when they are coming so rapid fire that we just don't seem to have any breathing room in between them. God's plan isn't to leave us devastated by allowing these trials - though they be harder than we might want to endure, they ALWAYS bring something we might not have ever known possible!

Faith increases in the midst of trials. Somehow, we know that we need to turn to God, to seek his help, to listen closer to his voice. We dig in deeper in our prayer life, seek answers from scripture, and even spend more time with others who also believe. Why? We know we are toast without his help! Could we imagine a world without trials or troubles? Yes, but we'd all be selfish little brats, looking out for ourselves, and too caught up in all the 'stuff' around us to notice we had left God's side! Ease presents some very real challenges, just as trials present their own set of challenges! Neither state is without issue - but only one draws us to the bosom of Christ!

Faith is tested - not tempted. There is a difference between tests or trials and temptation. Temptation comes into play when our own desires and lusts get brought into play within our lives, luring us to give into something we know better than to do. Trials and tests carry an element of 'stretching us' beyond where we have become comfortable. They actually show us we have more 'capacity' for things God is teaching us, even when we think we are at 'full capacity' right now. In temptation there is very little patience, but in testing or trials, it is all about developing that deeper level of patience that actually results in a deeper faith.

We might not like the 'fire' of trials, but we will reap more than we imagined possible when we endure them with grace, hope, and trust. Just sayin!

Fuel comes in many forms

Desmund Tutu said, "Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness." We can see all manner of darkness, but we don't see clearly in that darkness, do we? We are enveloped by its heavy shadow, but we can push back that shadow when we bring light into that dark place. Someone once said we can either be a candle or the mirror that reflects the candle - either way, we are pushing back darkness. We may not feel like it, but our very presence on this earth brings light into some very dark places.

Lord, you provide the flame for my lamp. You, God, turn the darkness around me into light. (Psalm 18:28)

God provides our 'flame' - we reflect his light. There is much to be said about having the 'right fuel' for our fire. You could start a fire with a gallon of gasoline, but it isn't all that safe because it has an explosive power. You could start a fire with a mirror, but it isn't reliable unless you have the brighter light of the sun to reflect in that mirror. You could start a fire without any light, but the friction required to start that fire takes a toll on an individual. We need God's 'fuel' for our inner fire, but we also need it for the fire that is aimed at impacting a very dark world around us.

Fuel comes in many forms. I have discovered you can get camp stoves that burn with propane, butane, or kerosene. You can gather matches, wood, and kindling to create a fire. You might even be able to use fuels such as paper, wood shavings formed into 'logs' of sorts, or even dried animal dung. While the latter doesn't seem like a good option for 'fuel', it works, nonetheless. We might not see the fuel used as some can be odorless and colorless. We might not observe the qualities of the fuel at first, but some burn longer and brighter than others. Whatever the fuel, it has a purpose. Whatever the fuel God puts in your tank, it has a purpose!

The whole purpose of light is to turn darkness into light. The whole purpose of fuel is to keep the fire ignited. Without the fuel, there is no ignition. Without the ignition, there is no fire. Without the fire, the darkness remains. Since God gives us the fuel and his Spirit ignites it within us, isn't it about time we use that light within to push back some of the darkness around us? Just askin!

We need logs

Our heart fire must be tended. What gets our attention gets tended - plain and simple. If we turn away from tending that spiritual fire, it is easy for it to begin to go out. Diligence must be maintained in ensuring we are consistent in tending it. Whenever we tend something, we are directing our attention toward the object we are tending - it means we narrow our focus to see just what we need to be paying attention to and then we do something about it. It is not enough to just look like we are tending our spiritual growth. We need to be actively engaged in taking care of our spiritual lives - not just passively going about life hoping God will help us to grow.

The fire must never go out, so put wood on it each morning. After this, you are to lay an animal on the altar next to the fat that you sacrifice to ask my blessing. Then send it all up in smoke to me. The altar fire must always be kept burning—it must never go out. (Leviticus 6:12-13)

 
Our heart fire must burn hot. The fire must have sufficient fuel, a "heat source", and sufficient oxygen to burn. Embers produce a heat source - fuel is another matter which requires our attention. If you have ever tried to keep a campfire or fireplace burning through the night, you know just how much wood it requires. There is quite a bit of planning which must be put into keeping the fire "hot" throughout the night hours. The store of wood has to be sufficient - it cannot be spindly branches - for those will be consumed way too quickly. Although they help stoke the fire as kindling to reignite the embers, they quickly are consumed and burn out. We need the "large logs" in order to keep the fire burning. This means we cannot expect to go through life on short bursts of "fuel" for our fire spiritually. We need to plan ahead for those larger "infusions" of life-giving fuel. It may mean we need to take time to really get into the meat of the Word, or just get time alone with God to listen attentively to what he has for us that day. 

Our heart has to be available. The altar was available to receive the sacrifices placed upon it - it had but one purpose - to receive the sacrifice. Our hearts have one purpose - to be the throne of God's grace and love in our lives. I think we often get so focused on how we dress, how our hair looks, and whether we drive the right car to make us look successful and forget all the while that the heart is really the most important part of what is "on display" in our lives. The altar stood there, ready to receive. I think this is what makes us effective in our day - to be ready to receive what God lays upon our hearts. Then we consume it fully and it becomes that sweet savor which emanates from our lives. Why would our heart have to be movable? The Israelites would stoke the coals, heap them into earthen jars, and then carry those burning hot embers to the next place they'd erect the altar. I think God looks for us to be ever ready to move when he says "move" and then to be ready to get down to business when he says to "stay". If the fire is abandoned, it will surely die out. God's fire within can be abandoned by our neglect - but if we are constantly alert to his voice, we will be ready to move when called upon and eager to "dig in" when he shows us it is time to just settle into what he has for us to do.

We have a role in keeping the fire burning in our lives - God may give the initial spark, but we tend it ever so carefully, my friends! Just sayin!

The altar fire

The fire must never go out, so put wood on it each morning. After this, you are to lay an animal on the altar next to the fat that you sacrifice to ask my blessing. Then send it all up in smoke to me. The altar fire must always be kept burning—it must never go out. (Leviticus 6:12-13) 

The Old Testament can be a bit hard to read through, especially since it seems like there are a lot of blood wars, blood sacrifices, bad things happening, and a whole lot of sinning going on! I see regular people, struggling to make a way in a regular world, and meeting with regular issues we all have to encounter. So, instead of slugging through, I look for the hidden truths and things we might otherwise overlook if we were just reading these chapters as "historical content". In the Book of Leviticus, much instruction was given to the priests on how they were to conduct their daily business in the offering of sacrifices.  In the instructions given to Moses for the priests, various sacrifices, dedicated holy days, and special feast days, we can find rich meaning pointing us toward the one who would become the ultimate blood sacrifice, making ultimate atonement once and for all for all of mankind's sins.  

As Moses is receiving some of these instructions from the Lord and passing them onto the Tribe of Levi (the Levite priests), we see the instruction to "tend the fire" of the altar - something which was never to go out. I don't know about you, but I have tended some fires in my day, and it was hard to keep it so that it never went out. You'd have to gather the wood, keep enough alongside the fire to tend it even when bad weather made it hard to do so, and then you'd have to stir the embers frequently enough to infuse the fire with that "stoking" heat it often needed to ignite afresh. I don't think this is too different from what has to happen in our own spiritual lives each and every day if we are to have a continual "burning" within our spirit which keeps us "on fire" in our relationship with Jesus.

The altar fire must never go out. It was to be tended - never left unattended. It had to be stoked - not left to burn down to ashes. It had to be able to consume what was placed upon the altar - so it had to burn hot. It had to be "mobile" or easily moved - as the Israelites were a "nomadic" people for quite a while until they settled into the land of Canaan. All of these important facts could easily be glossed over in this accounting of how the sacrifices were to be prepared and offered - but without fire, all the sacrifices would be nothing more than a rotting pile of flesh, putrid in the odor which it would give off, and festering with all manner of parasites and disease. I think this also speaks to the importance of fire - it had to be able to consume and turn what would otherwise be a rotting pile of mess into a savory delight.

God's fire must be ignited within us, but it must always be maintained. It isn't a 'purposeless' fire, though. It is the 'altar fire' - the place where our lives are transformed by the power of that fire. Just sayin!

Hello....you out there?

So seek God and live! You don't want to end up with nothing to show for your life but a pile of ashes, a house burned to the ground. For God will send just such a fire, and the firefighters will show up too late. (Amos 5:6)

Ever find yourself in a place where it feels like everything around you is 'on fire' and you are somehow trying to put out all the fires at once? I think we occasionally find ourselves in these times of wearing and quite frustrating 'firefighting'. Most of us can put out a small fire, but those bigger ones require the expertise of the firefighter specifically trained in the task! Amos was one of the twelve minor prophets of Israel. He finds himself leading a group of people who had little time for God and lots of time for their good life. The armies of Assyria (one of their fiercest rivals) were battling for bigger territory and Israel was allowed to live almost without warfare during that time, enjoying the expansion of their own territory without the need for battle. Although the nation was prospering and expanding, their heart for God was not so expansive. There are times when we enjoy 'prosperity' and 'goodness', almost forgetting about who it is that blesses us with such good things.

Values are often determined by the circumstances we find ourselves in. When Israel was "down on its luck" with armies battling them on every side, they sought God, listened to the prophets and wanted to be engaged in worship. When they seemed to be living carefree, they had little need for God in their lives. Their values were allowed to be shaped by the prosperity they enjoyed - oftentimes focusing on their own gain, and leaving the poor or sick to fend for themselves. Amos comes with a tough message - either they wake up to their drifting away from God, or face his coming judgment! He was bringing a message that the 'fire' was coming - they better be prepared. God gives us these warnings when we need them in our lives and if we heed them quickly, the fires will not get out of hand. If we ignore them, there is no telling how big the fires will get before they are under control!

It is a hard one to deliver, but probably even harder to listen to when you find yourself enjoying great times and then being brought to the realization you just might have left God out of the equation! Here's the cold, hard facts - God makes no differentiation when it comes to sin. Either you are guilty of sin or not. The fact that you are a child of God when you sin is just as significant as when a total unbeliever sins. The only difference is that we recognize that we have someone to run to with our sin, whereas the unbeliever is just left dealing with the outcome of their sin. With each period of compromise in our lives, compromise gets easier and it gets bigger! It is like we are lending fuel to the fire. Thank goodness that God gives us messengers of his grace! We may not get a "prophet" to show up on our doorstep, but we do experience the grace of his message! It may be in hearing the Word of Truth through another believer, or a convicting thought comes to mind through the action of the Holy Spirit within, but we get the message!

Our position as God's chosen and loved does not make us exempt from his position on sin, nor on the potential for sin in our lives! We have a responsibility to live right! When we don't - God reminds us of our responsibility! Plain and simple. God's Word measures us to make sure we stay on the "plumb" with God. When we are getting a little "out of plumb", his Word has a way of bringing us back into plumb. That is why God sent the prophets of the Old Testament - to act as a plumbline to bring his people "back to plumb" with him. It may be time to begin to consider the condition of our hearts. We might find that we are "melting away" without really seeing that we are - so busy fighting fires that we don't see all the fuel we have been giving them. Before we find nothing but a pile of ashes to remind us of what we once enjoyed, wouldn't it be better to "adjust our plumb" now? Just askin!

The making of a Royal Beauty

Now and again, mom begins a discussion by saying she doesn't know what she has done in this lifetime to 'deserve' all the pain she experiences because of her arthritis, stenosis, and neuropathy. Any one of those can be quite debilitating - add all three together and you rarely have a day when one or the other isn't a troubling thing. Add to this that she is legally blind, hard of hearing, and 100 years old, and you can see why she might just 'bemoan' some of these ailments once in a while! While we may not understand the 'why' behind the present set of worries and woes that we experience, we can be assured of one very important fact - the day is coming when we will live healed and whole once again if our hearts are surrendered to Christ!

What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole. I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory. (I Peter 1:3-7 MSG)

It is our faith that is proven in the fires of all these present trials we may endure, my friends. We might not fully appreciate that as we are going through those trials, but the purest of gold isn't just 'found' somewhere along the way - it is exposed and rises to the top in the fire. I get it - fire isn't comfortable, nor is it desirable when the exposure has been long. I also have had many a conversation with God about 'why' some things had to go the way they did in my life and have come to the conclusion on more than one occasion that there really was no other way to 'prove' the 'metal' of character any other way. The fire was the turning point for something within me - it brought out some things I may not have realized needed to rise to the surface so they could be 'taken out' of my life, as well as exposing some things that needed to be realized for the beauty that was really there.

Healed and whole is a good goal, but if we live with the expectation of seeing that in totality while here on earth, we have unrealistic expectations set in our minds. We aren't going to beat disease 100% of the time - colds will happen, flu will knock us down a notch or two on occasion, and even bones will become brittle and less 'movable' over time. Parts wear out! We aren't going to avoid all calamity in life - storms will tear away roofing, waters will invade spaces where pipes didn't hold secure, and cars will get dings. We don't control the weather, nor can we observe pipework hidden behind drywall or buried beneath the earth. These things are not always in our direct control - so we will have to face them when they arise. We aren't going to be able to keep out all manner of temptation - media will bombard us in every direction, opportunities will present themselves, and desires will still mount an attack within us. We are human!

The very best news I can share with you is that Jesus isn't going to abandon us in the midst of the disease, calamitous event, or incessant temptation. He is going to be there in the midst of the 'fire', not because he wants to see us 'burn', but because he wants to show us how much beauty is being exposed in the midst of it. He doesn't allow the fire to punish us - he allows it to purify us. At first, this seems kind of cruel, but when we stop to consider the beauty produced because of the fire, we might just reconsider the value of it. Yes, we can get excited about the time when we will be whole and healed. Yes, it is something assured to each of us. Yes, the time will come when all these present worries just slip away. In the meantime, there might just be a little refining going on behind the scenes in our lives that is producing within us a thing of 'royal beauty' that compares to no other. Just sayin!

Turning up the heat a little

Back in the days of the pioneers, there was a crazy flurry of activity to 'hit it big' in the gold mining 'rushes' of the day. Someone would come across the 'mother-load' and the rush would be on. Whether that sparkly stuff was panned from streams or chiseled from the walls of the caves that housed their rich vein, the result was the same - it had to be melted down before it could really be used. Along came the silver and copper mines, each yielding their own 'ores' of great promise - each requiring their own type of 'smelting' processes, but each producing various 'qualities' of 'finished product' as a result. The smelting process usually involved what came to be known as the 'crucible' - that smaller collection spot within the larger furnace where the refined metals would be collected. While the furnace produced the heat to accomplish the refining process, the crucible acted as a collection device to capture the purified substance which would emerge from the furnace.

As silver in a crucible and gold in a pan, so our lives are assayed by God.  (Proverbs 17:3)

Silver is mined - then must be separated from all the various impurities that it is surrounded by such as sulfur, arsenic, antimony, chlorine, or argentite - all important elements, but not really desirable for us to wear or use in our eating utensils! It is rarely found in some big clump, or small dust particles such as you have with gold. There is a refining process that must occur in order to separate the other stuff from the silver so you are left with the silver alone. Silver is 'bound to' or 'clings to' other substances and it must be 'extracted' from the stuff that it clings to or that which clings to it.

Sulfur - when burned, it can have a suffocating odor. Its various uses are for the production of gunpowder, in the formulation of medicines to kill various germs, and in the vulcanizing process of making rubber. While it has a benefit to us, it doesn't really belong to the silver, nor is the silver made any stronger by it being there.

Arsenic - the interesting thing about arsenic is that it vaporizes when heated, has a great metallic luster which gives it an appearance of beauty, and is quite poisonous if it is ingested. Now, I don't know about you, but something that that just gives me an appearance of beauty, but is 'poisonous' by nature isn't all that appealing! I don't think we'd want that stuff around too long!

Antimony - a kind of lustrous metal compound that looks good, but has very little value as a metal. It has one main use as an addition to metal alloys to give them strength. It is the item usually added to the mix when someone is manufacturing semi-conductors. The important thing to remember is that it is quite toxic - although useful, it carries a very high risk by being present.

Chlorine - we know that chlorine has many uses, but its main use is in the purification process because it has the ability to kill bacteria. It is toxic in both its gaseous and more "visible" forms such as liquid or crystal. Sometimes it is a silent killer since it can escape without notice and be carried pretty far on the winds. There is really a great risk in keeping something so volatile and lethal around.

Argentite - this mineral usually never exists alone. It is found in the silver mines along with the silver, clinging to the silver as part of the ore. It is lead grey in color and is very unstable once exposed to air, so it is not really of any use as a mineral. It is a 'cling-on', but it is useless if it cannot 'ride on' something else. Remove it and the silver is still strong - keep it around and it just makes silver ugly.

Okay, I did not want to bore you with all kinds of information on the minerals of silver mining, but I wanted to refer to each of these just a little bit to bring some clarity to why this analogy of silver in a crucible is used to describe God's work in our lives. It is important for us to see just what God may be doing by placing us in circumstances that we refer to as the furnace - the refining "crucible" of trial.
We may have some "sulfur-like" behavior that we need to have brought to the surface and separated from our lives - such as anger or wrath. When it is allowed to remain "combined" with the silver - we have a "combustible" part of our character that does not bring honor to God. Arsenic may look good, adding some type of "luster" to our character, but it is toxic. We might have some types of "toxic" character traits, such as gossip, malice, or envy that God knows have the capacity to be extremely "toxic" if they are allowed to remain. He puts us through the purifying process in order to remove these from our lives. 

 
Antimony gives the appearance of "looking good", but the presence of the "mask" never determines the reality of what is hidden. God knows that a transparent Christian is more valuable than one that looks good on the outside and is hiding nothing of value on the inside. Antimony is kind of like being this intensely strong appearing Christian on the outside, but being a blubbering idiot on the inside!
Chlorine has both a positive and negative affect - it can be a purifying agent, but not until it is "processed". It must be separated from all the other impurities, then it has to be used very carefully or it burns! We can liken this to either giving off a "sweet smelling odor" that delights God, or being "toxic" in what we emanate, burning the world around us. Argentite is absolutely worthless when it is exposed to air - it does nothing to lend to the strength or beauty of the silver once it is exposed. That is the same with any secret sin in our lives - as long as it is hidden in the core of our inner man, it gets along just fine. Once exposed to the Word of God, the sin shows the true corruptibility of its presence. God always uses the furnace and crucible of circumstance (trial) to remove the stuff that only serves to contaminate our spiritual beauty and our testimony. The next time you are going through the fire, you might ask God what "worthless mineral" he is focusing on separating from your life at that moment in time. The "smelting" process God uses is designed to produce the clarity of pure, refined silver - gleaming in all its beauty, reflective of the image of Jesus. Just burnin!

Wildfire

It is wildfire season in Arizona and our very dry winter has created the perfect conditions for dry forest lands which can quickly burn out of control. Already many fires have taken out way too much forest land, burned down homes and structures, and tormented animals seeking a safe place to find food and shelter. Fire is a devastating force. The words of our mouth are more powerful than a small spark that can set an entire forest on fire – or so scripture tells us. If our words are this powerful, just imagine the extreme power of the words of God! His words are instruments of grace, love, healing, direction, and even chastisement, if warranted. Regardless of the types of words he speaks, they are filled with power - power not matched by any other power in this world or in the heavens above. They are spoken to hearing ears and responsive hearts. Those who will listen intently to their meaning will be blessed by these words, but one must apply themselves to listening and being open to what is heard. 

How can a young person live a clean life? By carefully reading the map of your Word. I’m single-minded in pursuit of you, don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted. I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin myself bankrupt. Be blessed, GOD, train me in your ways of wise living. I’ll transfer to my lips all the counsel that comes from your mouth; I delight far more in what you tell me about living than in gathering a pile of riches. I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you; I attentively watch how you’ve done it. I relish everything you’ve told me of life, I won’t forget a word of it. (Psalm 119:9-16 MSG)

We think of a word as something said or expressed. Words do a great deal to reveal intention and inner thought. They can declare meaning – proclaiming truth not before evident until the meaning was given. They are also spoken as a form of promise – opening the possibility of hope afresh in the heart of the hearer - giving a hint of something that is to come, but may not be fully realized yet. Words are a valuable possession or a resource at our disposal in times when we need to impart wisdom, change the course of an event, or challenge someone to consider a new perspective on a matter at hand. Words carry an abundance of supply in them – they can build up, create vision, give perspective, challenge movement, increase faith, and impart hope. They are worth a great deal and should be handled accordingly.

Words are most valuable when they are openly shared, not locked up or shut up in the recesses of our minds or hearts. As a believer, we have a responsibility to be free in the expression of wise counsel that is granted or revealed to us by the power of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit has deeply affected our lives, the words that we speak will be so pure that there is no need to conceal them. We will be able to use them in an unrestricted manner, in just the right way that God prepares those words to be expressed. God’s words to us are made known to us through divine inspiration and instruction. His wisdom has been made open to us through is words. In turn, we are called upon to make known what was once concealed or hidden to us – the deep truths of his love, his compassion, and his grace as we have come to know them through his words and actions on our behalf. We are called to share even the small pieces of truth contained deeply in the Word that we find helpful as others may be as deeply affected as we have been.

It is God’s intention that our words spoken to him be something that makes clear the intentions and desires of our hearts. As we are transparent with him, he is transparent with us in the discoveries of the deep truths in his Word that make clear to us the essential qualities of his character, set forth the meaning of his actions, and define with clarity the path we are to walk. As we reveal our desires, we aren't just telling him our wants - we are openly admitting where our heart struggles and where our mind wanders. His words give meaning to our lives – helping to show the importance of our actions, the value of our deepest thoughts, and the danger in concealing anything from his tender touch. In the spoken or written word, meaning is conveyed. We often cry out for our lives to be filled with meaningful pursuits – desiring to know the purpose of it all. God declares the significance of a life in the power of his words. It was by a word that he created all that we see around us today – and by that same word, he holds everything in order today.

Words are indeed God’s way of conveying to us in limitless ways that he works to define and make distinct our significance in his kingdom. There is nothing “magical” in a word from God, but there is something creative and liberating in each word declared by him deep within our hearts. If we take in the word and make it part of who we are, the word of God will impact our lives. The Word of God is indeed sharper than a two-edged sword or the skilled use of a scalpel in the hand of the surgeon. It defines us, reveals hidden things within us, supplies abundantly what we stand in need of, and helps us to stand assured in even the most uncertain of times. The power of a word – in the hands of God, one word is worth more than any material treasure we could possibly desire. We should not be stingy in our exchange of words with God, and we should not limit our intake of his word in our lives. Both are powerful ways to set our world on fire! Just sayin!

Wildfire or Stoked Fire?

Richard Nixon reminds us, "The finest steel has to go through the hottest fire." The hottest fires can be the ones that come up unexpectedly and consume way more than we ever thought possible by one tiny spark. They can also be those that are stoked over and over on purpose so as to accomplish a particular task. Both have similarities, for both require fuel in order to burn. What fuels the fire that refines the "steel" of our lives is sometimes stoked with great intent by a faithful God, while at other times we might just find that something which appears to be a wildfire burning in our lives is really the result of "untended" ground.

Fire is used to make gold and silver pure, but a person’s heart is made pure by the Lord. (Proverbs 17:3 ERV)

Wildfires burn because there was something to ignite - the fuel existed to allow the slow burn to begin to become a much bigger burn. The wildfire burns because something acted as an ignition point - there was something that set that fire in motion. Wildfires aren't very discriminating about what they burn - anything can be fuel to a wildfire! They also aren't very predictable because they are not contained - they have the potential for limitless impact if there is enough fuel for them to continue to spread. This is why fire fighters will create a "break" between the fire and the fuel - to deny the fire access to what would otherwise have been right in its path. There are times in our lives when we leave too much "untended" areas in our lives that eventually produce enough "fuel" to allow the wildfires of life to burn out of control when there is something igniting that fuel.

A stoked fire is usually a little more contained and is built with a specific purpose in mind. There is a specific type of fuel utilized to create this fire and it is well-tended so it burns at a constant temperature. Why? The fire is intended to warm cold places, light a dark corner, create a means by which nourishment can come into our lives, or perhaps even allow the purification of what touches our lives. It can only bring warmth if tended - an untended, but contained fire will eventually burn out if not frequently stoked. It can bring light into darkness when there is enough glow from the fire to illuminate - but that also means there must be a way for the fire to be in our lives without harming us. 

God doesn't want wildfires burning out of control in our lives, so he asks us to deal with the "fuel" of the "fallen stuff" in order to make is less likely there will ever come a time when the fire burns without a real purpose. He desires the "contained fire" for it is purposefully ignited and tenderly stoked so as to maintain just the right degree of "burn" for the task at hand. If we need illumination, he will ensure there is enough flame to shed light where darkness exists. If we are hungry, he will cultivate the coals just hot enough to bring nourishment from what is placed upon those coals. If it is purification, the fire might just be stoked a little hotter than we might like, but what will be produced far outweighs the momentary discomfort of those hot flames. Just sayin!

A different kind of spark

I want us to look at three separate verses today - each carrying a little bit of this vs. that.  In other words, if we act a certain way, this is our reward; act the other way and your reward will be quite different.  Outcome is often determined by the things we set in motion at the beginning of the course - but not always. It is possible to turn an outcome around, even when you are already well down the path toward a certain outcome.  For example, I can determine I want to build a fire.  When I do, I set out to find some kindling - small pieces of dry leaves and wood to be the thing which will catch fire quickly when exposed to the source of fire.  Then I will find other wood for the fire, in varying sizes because some will need to catch quickly and others will sustain the fire a lot longer.  I can stack all of this so carefully, making a nice little mound in the middle of a pit I dig for the fire.  If I don't have anything to ignite the fire in the pit, I have set things in motion for a fire, but there is something still quite lacking in my preparation - the actual spark which brings the fire to life.  We often determine one course of action, but fail to focus on the one important thing we need to ignite the efforts we are putting forth, don't we?  We have all the right stuff, but lack the one important piece which will help us realize the outcome we hoped for.

Live right, and you are safe! But sin will destroy you.   Too much pride causes trouble. Be sensible and take advice.   If you reject God’s teaching, you will pay the price; if you obey his commands, you will be rewarded. (Proverbs 13:6, 10, 13 CEV)

Life is kind of like building a fire - we set out to enjoy it, but somewhere down the road we realize we don't have anything to really "spark" within us so this way of life becomes productive in the way only the "spark" can accomplish. Have a spark not contained within the "walls" of the fire pit and it can set into motion things we cannot contain!  Fire can be quite positive, but it also can be very destructive - depending on where it burns, what fuel it consumes, and whatever boundaries it is contained within.  If the fire burns within us, we see ignited within a passion which is quite "burning" - almost motivating us to action in one direction or another.  The right kind of fire can motivate us toward the right outcomes - the wrong kind can explode into uncontained frenzy!

Live right - be safe.  Sin - be destroyed.  If we go back to our fire example, we find the choice to allow only God's Spirit and his Word to ignite the "fuel" within our lives.  Those passions we desire are those which are produced by the presence of God within.  All other passions are like uncontained fire - creating a frenzy of activity and a plethora of destruction.

Pride causes trouble.  Submissive obedience requires a spirit of cooperation and sensibility.  One willing to take advice will realize a different outcome than one stubbornly resisting the authority of God in their lives.  When we are willing to sit at the feet of Jesus, learning how we should respond to those things which we will encounter in our day, we find the passions we allow to built within are quite different than if we only "fan the flames" of our selfish interests and unreliable desires within.

Obey God's commands - the reward is positive.  Reject his teachings - there is a price to pay.  Each carries a "reward of sorts", but they are quite different.  The fire kindled by God's Spirit produces a different radiance within.  The fire kindled by the winds of self desire gets a little too out of control - hot, glowing, but totally uncontrolled and destructive in the end. 

Where does this realization of "differences" leave us?  We need to kindle the right fires within - not every spark produces the right kind of fire.  A forest fire is kindled by a spark, but one which is out of control and "hungry" for fuel - yet not discriminating about the fuel it consumes.  A fire carefully managed by the hands of a skilled fire builder will produce radiance and warmth, but it does so with purposeful intent, not wild frenzy.  The fire of God does consume the fuel it ignites - it leaves a mark - there is evidence of it in our lives. Not only does the fire produce a radiance of character unable to be achieved without God's spark within, but it consumes whatever is put into it. This may not seem like much at first, but when we apply ourselves toward obedience by embracing God's Word, it takes hold of us in ways which leave a mark.  It isn't an indiscriminate "marking" by the fire of God, but rather the purposeful production of beauty from ashes.  Just sayin!

Even slag has a purpose

Yesterday I shared the truth about warnings - they are meant for our safety, but we need to have hearing ears and attentive eyes.  Today, we will look at the third characteristic related to heeding warnings - a responsive heart.  Remembering the heart is really the seat of our emotions, we can just imagine why God wraps the heart up into this picture of avoiding hazards by heeding warnings.  Our emotions can sometimes play tricks on us - making us see something totally different from what is really ahead of us.  Mom asked my sister last night why women choose losers.  I am not sure where this conversation came from, but I guess it was part of a story they were reading, so I just listened.  My sister's response was some women just do because they feel "needed" for the first time, or they feel "special" to someone and this is what they have wanted for so long.  I guess this kind of lends some credence to our discussion this morning - we cannot just listen to our hearts.  We need seeing eyes and hearing ears in the mix, as well.

For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices.  But this thing I did command them: Listen to and obey My voice, and I will be your God and you will be My people; and walk in the whole way that I command you, that it may be well with you.  (Jeremiah 7:22-23 AMP)

In the sixth chapter of Jeremiah, toward the end of the chapter, God describes to Jeremiah the commission upon his life - to be the refiner of ore.  Now, at first this may not seem significant, but when you read on, it becomes apparent God's commission will not be an easy one.  You see, God tells Jeremiah he is about to engage in the task of refining ore - not gold or silver ore, but bronze and iron.  If you know anything about these two, you know they are not pure metals.  The idea conveyed is that of dealing with "slag" - the part of the ore which gets thrown out because it refuses to yield to the fire.  I imagine Jeremiah got a little concerned about this one - for no one wants to boil rocks!  If they are going to spend all that time in the heat of the furnace, they want something of beauty to show for their hard work.  Something caught my eye in this passage, though.  We ALL have the potential of being slag.  Slag is just the waste left over after the refining process is finished.  When we fail to heed warnings, we run the risk of just becoming a bunch of rocks who never yield to the "boiling" process.

This might just speak to you, as well.  We all start out this journey as rocks - hard, unyielding, but filled with lots of potential.  The only way to determine if the rock will realize its full potential is in the fire.  Nothing extracts the pure metal except fire.  If you have ever wondered why you seem to be experiencing so much "fire" in your life, it might just be God's plan to bring more of the beauty inherent in your "core" to the surface!  

As Jeremiah and God converse on, we come to the passage above.  God makes the circumstances of Jeremiah's calling quite plain - he is to guide a people who hear, but don't obey; see, but don't choose the right path; knowing in their minds what is right, but they don't obey.  Put me on that list!  Jeremiah must have been about as excited as wet kindling when he heard that commission!  You are about to embark on the mission of boiling rocks and you will find some of those rocks just don't change much - they will just be rocks!  This is the lot of the refiner - it takes a lot of rocks being boiled to find the true ore in the mix!

The difference between a rock and ore is in their reaction to the fire.  Rocks just stay rocks, but ore begins to break apart until the purity of the "good stuff" interwoven in its recesses begins to be exposed.  We all have rocks and ore in our inner core.  Rocks will just boil, never yielding to the fire.  The only thing to do with the rocks is to throw them out - to cast them on the slag pile.  As the rocks are boiled, the slag begins to come to the surface - allowing the refiner to skim it off.  When he pours out the good metals extracted from the ore, the remaining slag may not seem valuable for any purpose.  Compared to the good metals extracted, the slag just looks like junk.

The opposite is actually true - slag may not have yielded the good metals of highest value, but it provides things of value we might just overlook.  Did you realize slag is used to make roads and foundations for buildings?  The fundamental ingredient in concrete is actually found in the slag pile!  The slag also is used as ballast - the stuff under the railroad ties which gives stability to the ties and beams.  It distributes the load of the train as it passes by, providing stability to those tracks.  Slag is even used in fertilizers - known as phosphate fertilizer.  Now, does that help to shed new light on the "slag" in your life?  Some of us get discouraged because we just see rocks.  God sees the tiny flecks of "good metal" in each of us.  He also sees the purpose for the slag - to give us ballast, help us develop a strong foundation, and to give us the substance for growth.

What God asks:  Listen with hearing ears; respond with obedient hearts; see with eyes which go beyond the seeing only the evident.  We may think we are just boiling rocks - he sees us as metal in the making!  But...he never discards anything he can use in our lives to give us foundation, helps us bear up under the weight and pressures of life, or give us just a little extra "umph" in our growth cycle!  So, what does this have to do with heeding warnings?  When we realize action is what brings us to a place of obedience, not just listening and seeing, we begin to desire the activity of the refiner's fire rather than resist it. Just sayin!

Potency and Purity

³ As silver in a crucible and gold in a pan,
   so our lives are assayed by God. 

(Proverbs 17:3 The Message)

Yesterday, we took a look at the process of "stoking" the furnace of our hearts - getting us to a place that God can work with us, forming us into what it is he envisions for us.  Today, I'd like to continue to explore another instrument of the craftsman used in the process of purification - it is what is known as the crucible.  The crucible is similar to the furnace, but its purpose is not so much to heat to the point of being "pliable" in the hand of the craftsman as it is to bring to the surface that which is impure in the substance he is working with.  For some of us, we feel the "heat" of the crucible much more often than we'd like.  Take heart, that really means that God is just at work bringing to the surface the things in our lives that he needs to remove by his tender care.


When I lived in Alaska, I got to know a gentleman that was into looking for gold.  He used a process of "panning" for gold in the streams and rivers of the area.  He did not hit any big "mother lode" of a gold find, but he found enough to make it worth his while.  As I would watch him go through the arduous process of sifting that sand, stone, and debris through the gold pan, I observed his tenacity for the process.  Slowly, he'd let water in and out of the pan, shifting the contents back and forth, until all that remained were tiny flakes of gold in the midst of just a little sand at the bottom of the pan.  That gold would catch the rays of the sun and glimmer brightly in the midst of the sand that remained.  He'd pluck out the gold bits, placing them carefully in a pouch he maintained for that purpose, and then he'd "dig in" for another plate of sand, debris, and stones.


Whether it is the craftsman at the crucible, refining the impurities from the metal substance being heated, or the gold miner gently sifting the debris away until only the "shiny stuff" was visible, both are reflective of the process of getting the impurities out of the way so the "good stuff" is seen.  Did you ever stop to consider that we often don't see the "good stuff" until there is enough agitation in our lives to bring it out clearly?  We often resist the agitation of our souls - because it hurts - without realizing that without that agitation, the good stuff is always going to be masked by the other stuff that gets in the way of it!


I see a word used in this passage that we don't use so much in today's communication - assay.  There are two meanings of this word that I think apply to our passage today:


1)  To examine or analyze - the goal of the process of the crucible is to determine the measure of what is contained within.  When God goes about the work of assaying our lives, he is bringing us through one examining process after another.  No part of the assaying of our character is unnecessary - it all serves a purpose of exposing the impurities and bringing out only the best in us.  


2)  To determine the potency of something - the process of assaying a substance is to see what "strength" that substance is capable of producing.  When a scientist assays the various substances that make up a product, they are really looking to see if the strength of the combined substances will make the substance more or less potent.  God only looks for that which will lend potency to our lives - all the other stuff he wants to remove.  


The process of assaying is really a process of analysis.  Therefore, the crucible is an instrument of analysis in our lives.  The crucible results in a lot of agitation of the substance contained within - "good stuff" is hidden deep and must be uncovered.  God is not too timid about how he goes after that which is hidden within - both the good and the bad.  When he gets the bad to the surface, he gently removes it, freeing us from that which impacts our potency and purity.  When he sees the good stuff becoming clearer and clearer, he is delighted because he knows we are developing the strength of character that will give us the potency to stand strong in this world.


God's goal in the crucible - in the refining process - is not to break us, but to bring out our highest potential, our greatest potency, and our strongest character.  The process involves a little agitation in order to uncover the "good stuff", but without that agitation, we'd never really get to see the beauty his grace is able to produce in our lives.  So, allow him to stoke the fires, sift the debris, and assay on!  Good stuff is about to catch his eye and become that which he notices with great delight!

A consuming fire!

What does straw have in common with wheat?
   Nothing else is like God's Decree.
Isn't my Message like fire?" God's Decree.
   "Isn't it like a sledgehammer busting a rock?

(Jeremiah 23:29)

To a farmer, a crop of straw has little value compared to wheat.  Each has its purpose, but what is yielded in the return of the seed planted is much greater to the farmer with wheat than it is with straw.  If all the farmer is doing is raising a bunch of cattle, the straw might have a purpose - but it still has a very limited purpose.  God's word is as different from the words of others as wheat is from straw.  There is something infinitely more valuable in his word than that of man, no matter what authority that man may claim to have.

Israel finds themselves in a position of having drifted from what God had intended for them as a nation - they were in a position of seeking visions and messages from their prophets.  Yet, these visions and messages were just that - visions and messages from the heart of man, not the voice of God.  The nation had adopted the "philosophy" of the nations around them instead of remaining true to the "truth" of the God they were to be serving.  Sometimes we find ourselves in a similar situation - looking to the things and people of this world we live in to give us what it is that will "fix" us.  This is a dangerous position to find ourselves in because when we rely on anything other than God's word to guide us, we are open for all kinds of error in our ways.

The passage is clear:  God's Word is like a FIRE.  His Word is like a HAMMER.  Fire and hammers have differing characteristics, but when God uses something we are familiar with to describe something about himself, it is because he wants us to make a connection that we associate with.  So, let's examine how God's Word is like a fire.

First, fire gives light.  By your words I can see where I'm going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path. (Psalm 119:105)  Light makes vision possible - try seeing clearly in the dark sometime and then turn on a light.  You will see just how much "detail" you missed by not having the light.  In the darkness, you only make out images of what you could see in detail once the light made manifest the intensity of color, or the beauty of the portrait on the wall.  

Light actually gives us the ability to conceive and perceive things in the spiritual sense, as well.  Light brings about an enlightenment that we were lacking - enlarging us and bringing us to a place where we comprehend something.  In the spiritual sense,it gives us spiritual insight that brings us to a place where we are freed from ignorance, or a place of misinformation in our lives.  Have you ever had one of those "Ah-haw" moments when it just seemed like there was immediate clarity as to what you were to do in a situation?  That is because you received the insight that brought you out of your ignorance about what to do next.

Light really brings about a discernment - giving us the ability to distinguish and select those things that are excellent, appropriate, and true.  It is light that helps us go way beyond the obvious or superficial - it guides us into the detail and the completeness of revelation.  So, living without God's light is like walking around in the dark - that is why he tells us that his word is like fire!  It gives us the ability to move beyond the obvious or superficial in our walk!

Second, fire gives us heat and is a kind of "fuel" that we use in everyday life.  It adds energy that causes us to expand and rise to new levels.  Ever remember doing that science experiment where we set a beaker of water on to boil and then watched as an object was actually expanded by the heat?  As the heat is "turned up" in our lives through God's word being spoken into our daily walk, we sometimes feel like we are being asked to "expand" a little - to rise to a new level.  The heat applied to the water in the beaker causes that water to begin to stir - it sets it in motion.  Without the heat of the fire, the water is really without "incentive" to move!  God's word is like that - it gives us incentive!

Last, fire consumes that which it touches.  I was a Girl Scout, so I made my share of campfires as a kid.  One of the things that I was taught was to have a healthy respect for the "force" of fire.  We had to dig a pit, surround it with stone, clear the brush away from the place where we'd light that fire, and then be vigilant to watch for flying embers as the fire burned.  One spark drifting to dry timber nearby could result in devastation to the entire forest!

Why did the leaders emphasize such care with the fire?  It was because of the consuming force of fire - it would dramatically change the image and character of that which it touched.  That wood piled into a nice stack on the center of the pit soon was reduced to glowing hot embers - excellent for cooking our meals and roasting a few marshmallows!  Fire changes the "consistency" of that which it touches - that wood would never be the same again.

The same is true in our lives - once touched by the word of God, we will never be the same again!  Sometimes we avoid being touched by the flame because we don't want to be affected by the flame!  We want to affect the flame, effectively trying to "stamp out" what the Word is attempting to change in our lives.  When we do this, we effectively are resisting the change God intends by igniting that fire within!

So, rather than resisting the "fire" of God's Word, isn't it time that we allow it to do exactly what it was intended to do?  Fire promises us illumination - it won't leave us in the dark.  Fire affords us understanding - bringing new clarity into our lives.  Fire creates a newness - changing us is ways we never thought possible.  Have a healthy respect for the power of God's word!  It desires to consume what it touches!

Consuming fire is a byproduct of a desperate heart

^1-3 Listen, God! Please, pay attention! Can you make sense of these ramblings, my groans and cries? King-God, I need your help. Every morning you'll hear me at it again. Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on your altar and watch for fire to descend. (Psalm 5:1-3)

A bold cry from a desperate heart - Listen!  Pay attention!  Why?  I need your help!  There is no other acknowledgement that God needs more than the simple admittance that we "need his help".  I honestly believe that those very words set in motion countless things way beyond our comprehension - things meant to protect us, provide for us, and powerfully intervene in the turmoil of our life experiences.  David was desperate - desperation moves the heart of God.  

Think about it - if you had two kids sitting side by side on the couch, each making a plea for your attention, which one would you be most inclined to turn to?  One is sitting passively there, holding up a sign with crudely written words, "Will honor you for food".  The other is bouncing up and down, waving his arms, crying out, tears flowing down his face, crying out, "Please, please, I need you!  No one and nothing else will do!  I need YOU!"  

In serving God, there is no room for complacency.  The characteristics of a complacent heart are simply to be so self-satisfied with the present situation that you don't see or acknowledge any need for change.  You are completely unaware of the potential dangers that lurk just around the corner if you continue in that place of complacency.  In healthcare today, we understand very well the concept that "nothing is as certain or as constant as change".  In our spiritual walk, we should be just as certain that nothing is as EXPECTED as change!

I think David realized that change was inevitable - but also that it was expected.  He had patterned his life after the ways of God - he knew full-well that yesterday's "constants" would be today's "traps" if he allowed himself to "settle in" and just enjoy the ride.  David admits his need - he even goes so far as to tell God that he could expect to hear about that need over and over again until that need was met.  Not met in his own power or ability - but in the power and purpose of God himself.

Desperation is marked by a sense of urgency - there is an awareness of the circumstances of the heart, mind and soul that leads to an admission of the urgency of the need.  There is an ultimate effort to give it all - in surrender to the one who can take the little we surrender and make it significant in his hands.  David says he did that every morning - offering his "all" to God on the altar, hoping for God's fire to descend and to consume his total offering.  Nothing was as vivid to the Hebrew people as the sense of an offering totally consumed by the fire of God.  Think about it - a life offered totally consumed by the fire of the Spirit of God!  That was David's plea.

Urgency compels us - it moves us forward (or gets us bouncing up and down on the couch, so to speak). It creates an internal motivation to "do something".  The danger comes in us trying to "do something" in our own efforts - not seeking God's "something" to create the exact answer that we need.  We see the need for "food", just like the first boy on the couch.  He sees the need for "spiritual sustenance", just like the second boy on the couch.  Yes, he meets our physical needs for shelter and food, but he desires to meet much more than those.  He desires to meet the needs of our stripped-bare hearts, our hurting emotions, and our ripped apart relationships.  He wants to repair damaged beliefs, tainted perceptions, and unrealistic fears.  Those are the pleas he hears the quickest - that turn his ear, direct his attention, and fill his heart with compassion toward us. 

Nothing moves the heart of God quicker than the one who realizes that the need for change is present, not future.  His response to that realization is to send consuming fire!