Staying Close to the Fire of God [And, Today’s Bible Verse and Song]

By Writer, Kirk M

Last Monday morning the temperature outside was minus 10 degrees with a wind chill of minus 30. Inside, we were comfortably enjoying 68 degree heat.. Suddenly the electricity went out and during the 3 hours it was out, the temperature in the house dropped 15 degrees to 53. 24 hours later, with the furnace running nonstop, the temperature in the house had finally climbed back up to 66 degrees.

What happened last week reaffirmed a principle that constitutes one of the most important lessons we should know in this life. It takes a very long time to build something, but it can be torn apart in no time at all. It was indeed shocking to see how quickly a house cools down when it is bitterly cold outside. I don’t know which was more impressive, that the house chilled so rapidly or that it took so long to warm back up.

We live in a barren wasteland called the world. The spiritual climate is horrendous. In fact, life in this world could be equated to living on Mars where it is so cold nothing can live. Perhaps this is why the world is made up of cold and dead people who have nothing to live for and nothing to give their life to.

The only way to survive in this world is to stay near the source of heat which is Almighty God. The fire of God provides warmth and makes living bearable and even enjoyable. Staying near this fire is accomplished through personal time with God via prayer and study of His Word, fellowshipping with fellow believers and not venturing out into the world without proper attire (the armor of God).

Every once and awhile, a believer decides he/she does not need to stay near the fire and launches out on their own to pursue fame or fortune. For a season they appear to do well which leads others to believe they could do the same. The problem is that in due time, EVERYONE who walks away from the warmth of God’s fire will freeze to death unless they come back to the heat.

Those who walk away from God’s Word and His people inevitably end up getting cold and seeking the pseudo warmth of the world, which is in reality a lie. The warmth that took years to achieve with God is replaced with cold in a very short amount of time. Even if a person returns to the fire of God, it takes a long time for them to warm up again.

What the world promotes as truth is nothing but a lie. The promises the world makes concerning happiness, prosperity and health are as empty as a leaking cistern. Those who forsake God, His Word and His people to chase the fantasies of this world ALWAYS end up getting hurt, beaten up and either killed or left for dead.

The world mocks those who hover by the fire of God. They say we are weak and use our faith as a crutch in this life. They make believers feel like fools and work overtime to diminish our influence and message. Most believers cannot handle this rejection and persecution and turn their back on the fire and race to the outstretched arms of those who claim to have something better than God.

Why a person would walk away from the warmth of God and His people is a mystery but it happens every day of the week. We cannot stop someone from leaving but we can stop ourselves from joining them. A coal in the fire glows with heat but if pulled out and set aside, it cools quickly and becomes cold and worthless.

With all of our heart and soul we should strive to stay as close to the fire of God as possible. When we do this, we see the world for what it is – an uninhabitable wasteland. We also see God’s habitation for what it is – the garden of His grace and love. May we all stay close to God no matter what happens around us and to us in this world.

Kirk M

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Today’s Bible verse…

~ Psalms 28:7

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