Fire can be good or bad, depending on how it is used. In the kitchen it is a wonderful presence,
helping to prepare a delicious meal. In a
dry forest it is a death knell for wildlife’s habitat. The same is true in spiritual matters.
God’s Holy Spirit is sometimes represented as holy fire, such as at the Day
of Pentecost, when the Spirit energized the birth of Jesus’ church[1]. Fire is also a reminder of God’s
judgment. Jesus often taught of God’s
love, but the theme of judging those who say no to God’s ways was always close at
hand. When teaching his disciples about
His love for them, and how vital it was to stay close to him, enabling God’s mission
to bring His love to the world, Jesus whispered the consequences of refusing…the
fire would fall. And, unlike the good
fire of God’s presence on Pentecost, it would be the consuming fires of God’s
judgment:
Anyone who does not
remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to
be burned. John 15:6
The theme of judgment for sin is laced all the way through Scripture, from
Cain’s killing of his brother in Genesis, thru Revelation’s Great White Throne
judgment[2].
In Jeremiah’s prophecy it is hard to miss how clearly God said that it was
He, Who was responsible for the woes that would fall on His people because they
had wantonly broken their covenant vows with God. God also claimed it was His right to do so,
because it was He Who called and blessed them…He had planted the olive tree of Judah’s
Jerusalem, and it would be God causing the fire to fall.
For You Today
Among most of the
world’s once-Christian churches there is a deadly coldness when it comes to Pentecost’s
fire. They are like ovens without heat,
only housing a possibility. But, as it
was with the prophets, it is not too late for the remnant of God’s people to return
to faithfullness:
Hate evil and love
what is good; turn your courts into true halls of justice. Perhaps even yet
the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will have mercy on the remnant of
his people. Amos 5:15
There are about 2,000 devotional
posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions
library. To dig deeper on
today’s topic, explore some of these:
After the Party and A Pathway Through the Darkness
[1] Images: Pixabay.com Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©
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