Fire
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.'” Hebrews 12:28-29
My lovely wife loves fire! One of the greatest highlights for her, when we visit ‘The Cabin’, is to sit around the fireplace in the evening. Which isn’t a surprise. Most people do! The cool mountain air becomes much more cozy when sitting in front of a warm fire. The light and sounds coming off of a well built fire only add to the ambiance. But first, someone has to BUILD a fire! That someone…is me!
Now before I get started, I don’t want to sound like I am an expert woodsman. Though I HAVE had LOTS of practice and have cut more than my share of wood! I learned how to build fires as a Boy Scout, then taught it through the years as a scout leader. But having ‘The Cabin’ forces me to put the ‘walk’ in my ‘talk.’ It doesn’t matter how much I KNOW if I can’t, or don’t, choose to apply it! ‘The Cabin’ is my proving ground.
A fire is nothing more than the rapid oxidation of a material in a chemical process called combustion. This process releases heat, light and other products in the form of ash, gas etc. Now almost no one knows this…though any kid with a match can replicate it well enough. But BUILDING a fire is NOT as easy as it seems. Without proper methods, materials and skill, I have watched MANY a person try! I CAN say, without doubt or braggery, that if you want a fire…I’m your guy! Which means ‘I’m’ the one that usually has to do the WORK involved in creating the ambiance! Which also means, I’m the one that usually smells the most like smoke!
There are tools that I have at ‘The Cabin’ that I DON’T have at home. Saw’s, splitters, wedges and mauls are needed to cut, trim, split and chop trees into actual fuel for a fire. There are things to know in order to do all of this, but nothing compares to the amount of energy and work needed to actually DO it! But I have to admit…I like it!
It’s actually enjoyable cutting big logs, splitting them down to size and then stacking them! Katie encouraged our joining a gym last year and honestly, I don’t really care for it. When I’m exerting energy necessary for a fire, at least I can SEE something from my sweat. It gives my efforts a point! A tangible goal or reason to actually do it!
There are different kinds of trees in the forest, and knowing them is important. Some, like pine, are called softwood. Others, like oak, ash and maple, are called hardwood. I have a saying up there that ‘softwood is for lookin’, and hardwood is for cookin’! The comment, “nice fire,” usually comes after seeing several big chunks of softwood are ablaze and brightening up the area. Hardwood burns hotter but isn’t as pretty at night. When it’s cold, the women like when I use both kinds so that the fire burns hot AND bright as well.
The process of fire takes a lot of effort and time. After cutting, hauling, splitting, stacking and drying, one needs to know HOW to actually BUILD a fire. And there are several types…tepee, box and lean-to fires just to name a few. It takes tinder, kindling, sticks and logs to eventually get the fire to the comfort level my wife likes. And just because it may have rained during the day is NO excuse to NOT have a fire at night! So learning to build a fire in wet and adverse conditions is a must. And yes.. I have stories!
God is a consuming fire! That is what the Bible verse says, so it MUST MEAN something! And it does. Ask anyone who has lost their home to a fire and they will tell you how devastating fire can be. Fire has no tolerance for anything less than itself. If something CAN be consumed, it WILL be. And unless the fire is stopped or put out, it will continue to burn and rage until there is no fuel left. And that is EXACTLY HOW GOD operates!
My flesh is consumable. Born in sin, I have NO HOPE of EVER becoming anything more than what I am. A sinner! And since God CANNOT tolerate ANYTHING LESS than Himself, something has to happen OUTSIDE of myself to make me tolerable to Him. And THAT something, is His Son, Jesus Christ. HE is ‘The One’ who takes my life, burns it to the ground and rebirths me into His image. It’s a LOT of work on His part. But He likes it! After all the years of being the object of His affection and the recipient of his light and warming love…so do I!
I have found that when I go to ‘The Cabin’ I am drawn to the woodpile, the fire place and the tools. I look forward to spending the time and energy it takes to make something lovely out of something dead and lifeless. It is no accident that I get the same results when I approach God each morning with His Word in my hands. As I voluntarily yield myself to the Master’s consuming fire, I am changed. Neither of us regret the process. And if I smell like His smoke and look brighter because of the process…well… isn’t that the point!
Are YOU on fire? If so, how hot and bright ARE you?
