“Is not my word like as a fire? says the Lord; and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” Jeremiah 23:29

were in scouts or Sunday School as a kid, you may remember this song… “It only takes a spark, to get a fire going.” Yea… me too! I’m older now, and having built HUNDREDS of fires in my life, I can tell you that there is LITTLE truth to the song. If I had to bet on the possibility of a fire from a small spark, I’d bet it highly unlikely. Almost a MIRACLE even! Let me explain.

For several weeks during the summer, our family sits outside at night around a campfire. The REASON we have a fire is twofold. 1. Everyone likes and wants one. And 2. ‘I’ am the guy that has the job of building it. I can tell you emphatically that building a fire is a learned skill. Not everyone knows how.

Kids, especially boys, love fires. They’re always trying to get away with sticking something in, or throwing a big log on. I’m the guy that usually tells them to ‘knock it off!’ Fires are not toys! As they get older, it is not uncommon for them to ask permission to build a fire themselves. I never have a problem with the request. Because “I” know that ‘wanting’ and ‘doing’ are 2 completely different things. A couple pieces of paper, a lighter and a log… do NOT a fire make! And don’t even MENTION a simple spark! After failure, a class in fire building brings wanted attention!

Fires are work. You have to have a clean pit, air intake, paper or tinder, and increasing sizes of sticks and wood to succeed. When assembled correctly, it is not hard to light a fire with a single strike of a match. The KEY is in the BUILDING. And building a good fire takes time to learn.

Here comes the simile. God is like a Campfire! Everybody wants to hang out with Him and enjoy the warm glow of His Spirit. Sitting around a fire singing Kumbaya has marvelous appeal. But a vibrant faith is much like a fire. It takes time, skill and desire to actually build a good strong one.

There are numerous warnings in the Bible about fire. The one thing that is best remembered about fire is that it is one of God’s favored tools. That alone may make you rather unsettled. It should! Jesus said in Mark 9:49 that, “Everyone will be salted with fire!” If you suddenly have become nervous, good! Because He meant it. The statement means that all of your life’s plans, achievements, hopes and desires will be tested by the fire of God to see if what remains will be Godly. If one has lived a life of selfishness without God, nothing will be left after the flames. If one seeks to know God and His will for their lives, following His will will certainly prove lasting.

Reading God’s Word, applying it, praying, being a functioning member of His Church in service and love is not an accident. It’s an ‘on purpose.’ And you already KNOW if you are doing it. The work and heart you put into finding and doing His will give you continued confidence that when He strikes His match… you will BOTH enjoy what the flames reveal. Got it Sparky??