FIRE!

I was remembering an incident that happened in my early childhood. The fear it caused me has abated over the past 38 years, but I still remember it well.

When I was 3, our house burned to the ground. My parents had it for sale. A young couple had put down the earnest money and signed the contract on it the week prior. During that week, we also had a terrible electrical storm. The house burned the following week. My mother awoke to the smell of smoke after our dog kept running to their bedroom window outside and barking. Mama grabbed me up first and put me in the car. All the while she was yelling at Daddy to get up; that the entire opposite end of the house was on fire. I was sleeping in my parents' bed that night because I was still afraid of the dark, and it's a good thing, because my bedroom was on the end of the house where the fire started. My parents lost a few things, but we were grateful to have escaped alive. They thought I was too young for the fire to have had a lasting effect on me; but once we were in our new home they would awaken every morning to a cold house. They couldn't figure out how the wall heaters were getting turned off during the night until Daddy caught me sleepwalking and turning them off. I never told them, but I was afraid of burning to death. I eventually got over that, but I still have a healthy respect for fire just like I do God's other gift, water. I love a nice, hot soak in the tub, but I'm still frightened of deep water even though I can swim.

I told you that long-winded personal account to illustrate both the goodness and destructiveness of fire.

Fire makes life feasible. We need it for our survival: to cook food, to warm ourselves, to light our way in darkness, and to forge implements for farming and warfare. In the alternative, it can also destroy all life: flora, fauna, and human. The Bible gives us numerous examples of how fire both enhances or destroys life:

THE POSITIVES:

A. Ex. 13: 21 - God led the Israelites as a pillar of fire by night;

B. Lev. 6: 12 - fire as an element used in worship;

C. Jer. 28: 29 - the power of God's Word described as a fire;

D. Acts 2: 3 - The Holy Spirit causes tongues of fire to appear over the apostles'
heads on the day of Pentecost;

E. 1 Thess. 5: 19 - We're not to quench the Holy Spirit's fire, to show contempt for
God's Word, but to use it to prove and keep that which is good and reject what is
bad;

F. Jude 23 - We can pull others from the fire of sin.


THE NEGATIVES:

A. Lev. 10: 1-3 - Nadab and Abihu were destroyed by fire from God for their willful
disregard for His instructions. They offered "strange fire" (unauthorized, NIV)
before the Lord;

B. Matt. 3: 11 - Those who reject Christ will be destroyed by fire (see also Matt. 5:
22; 25: 41; and Rev. 20: 14);

C. Mk. 9: 43 - We're in danger of Hell's fire if we can't exercise proper self-control;

D. Heb. 12: 29 - God is a consuming fire. He can save or destroy us;

E. Jas. 3: 5 - Our tongues, though small, can be as dangerous as a match to a forest
fire;

F. 2 Pet. 3: 10 - The earth will be destroyed by fire upon Christ's second coming.

I often ask myself, am I on fire for the Lord's kingdom or am I headed to Hell's fire? As harsh as that sounds, it shocks me into acknowledging issues in my life that need to be addressed.

You may wonder what possessed me to write such a post. I often think about fire, but especially now since the weather's gotten colder and we've switched on the faux fireplace. Even thought it's not real, it still makes me think about the real thing...and the eternal thing.

Love Ya,
God Bless!