Tuesday, April 25, 2023
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. Psalm 34:17-20
A Purifying Fire
A forest often grows back greener and more plentiful after a forest fire has ravaged all the existing life. Fires, although devastating, can actually help to clean up forests and keep them healthy. They burn away all the underbrush and sometimes the upper level of the trees too. This allows the sunshine to reach the earth and purify the soil. The sun gives warmth and energy that plants need to survive and regenerate.
Forests will evolve in the presence of fire and even adapt to it. Forrest Hall, a physicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center explained that wildfire is an integral part of the forest ecosystem. Hall also said Fire is the mechanism by which the forest is continually regenerated. Fires consume dead, decaying vegetation accumulating on the forest floor, thereby clearing the way for new growth. Some species, such as the jack pine, even rely on fire to spread their seeds. The jack pine produces "seratonous" (resin-filled) cones that are very durable. The cones remain dormant until a fire occurs and melts the resin. Then the cones pop open and the seeds fall or blow out.
This all reminds me so much of us and the fires we go through in life and how we adapt. We can have everything singed away taking us down to the raw core of our being. At this point we are generally wide open to allowing God to do whatever He wants to do with us. He is free to purify us, revive and rejuvenate us. We are completely vulnerable and weakened, ready to be molded by His caring and capable hands. This is a sweet time of refuge and comfort in the midst of or after a trial. We adapt to the fires and come out a little scarred and then we adapt to the scars and move on, until another fire breaks out. We move on dragging our scars along with us.
Some things we can remember when we are in the fire:
We Must Trust God – God is in control and although He has absolute power, He allows these fires in our lives for a reason. He could take us out of it but for some reason He does not. Trust in His good, acceptable, and prefect will. He loves us and wants the best for us. He will take this fire and use it for good.
Trust That God Will Be With You In The Fire – There is a popular story in the Bible about three men who were thrown into a fiery furnace because they chose not to bow down and worship a statue which had been ordered by the King. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would only bow down to the one true God so they were thrown into a fiery furnace to burn up. Mysteriously in the midst of the furnace there appeared four men instead of three. God was with these men in the fire and He will be with you. He will be by your side, walking with you and giving you strength, and carrying you when you can’t go on.
God Will Deliver You – Storms don’t last forever and fires eventually burn out. God will not leave you where you are forever. He will rescue you. He will deliver you. You will walk away scarred and battered but embrace the scars as you would a great treasure. They were very costly to acquire and the return will be huge. The wisdom and life lessons gained are always priceless to those who realize the value.
I don't know about you but I pray daily for the Holy Spirit to burn away everything in my life that does not glorify God. I want this daily regeneration in my heart so that there is nothing there that does not belong, trying to take God's place in my heart and life. He takes out what does not belong and replaces it with His presence and new and good things begin to grow.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. Isaiah 43:2
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