How is the fire of your spiritual life? Is your flame just about gone? Maybe at the moment you feel overwhelmed with worries and fear, especially now while this mysterious virus swirls all around the world.
Laser focus on our trials will put the flame out. A focus that only sees the problem much larger than it is with no solution snuffs out and smothers the flame. Darkness overtakes the light and the enemy loves it. He gets a grip on that darkness and makes us believe that light will never come again.
So how do we keep the flame in our souls lit? We turn our faces upward towards the LORD and grab onto HIS promises with all that we have!
PROVERBS 4: 4 “YOUR HEART MUST HOLD ON TO MY WORDS. KEEP MY COMMANDS AND LIVE.”
Let’s imagine for a moment…….a fire in the fireplace that is about to go out. When we throw more wood upon it, the flames rise brightly and it becomes hot. We see that the fire gives more light to the whole room. Our souls in the same way grow dim and we need to add fuel to our internal fires to keep them burning bright and hot with passion. Filling our minds and hearts with HIS word and HIS wisdom will keep our flames bright!
I think GOD has a way of stoking the fires of our hearts with HIS HOLY SPIRIT. We need to deeply embrace HIS word and let it do a good work within us.
His word will put a spark in us like nothing else will. His word gives us passion not only for JESUS and who HE is, but for HIS gospel and HIS promises!
JEREMIAH 23: 29 “IS NOT MY WORD LIKE FIRE, DECLARES THE LORD…….”
When the flame is there…….GOD’S light shines brighter! Let it shine!
The Holy Spirit is the source of this flame……we add fuel to the fire as we read and embrace HIS word, as we pray continuously and obey HIS commands. But because we are sinners and unholy people let’s remember this…….
ISAIAH 33:14 “WHO AMONG US CAN DWELL WITH THE CONSUMING FIRE? WHO AMONG US CAN DWELL WITH EVERLASTING BURNINGS?
It’s a comforting fact that the LORD has planned all along for HIS remnant to burn brightly all through history and in the future…….
ISAIAH 10:17 “THE LIGHT OF ISRAEL WILL BECOME A FIRE AND HIS HOLY ONE A FLAME.”
Right now, we are a part of that fire burning ever so brightly in the midst of this world pandemic. We are HIS people burning for our LORD. Take comfort in these words dear ones……
ISAIAH 10: 16 “THEREFORE THE LORD GOD OF HOSTS WILL SEND WASTING SICKNESS AMONG HIS STOUT WARRIORS AND UNDER HIS GLORY A BURNING WILL BE KINDLED, LIKE THE BURNING OF FIRE.”
HEAVENSREEF 
When I was a teenager, I liked to water ski. Whenever I did, I would wear a “ski belt” to keep me afloat in the water. It kept me from sinking, even after a major “wipe out.”
When I think of the “belt of truth,” (Ephesians 6:14) I think of several different kinds of belts. One of them is the ski belt. Wrapped in God’s truth, I know I won’t sink, be overwhelmed, or drown in the circumstances around me.
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YES may we put on the armor of GOD and keep the flame burning bright! Thanks for your comment and bless you!
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Those verses in Isaiah 10 are a powerful image! It continues to show us that our God is, indeed, a consuming fire, and He will burn all that is chaff. He will bless us with His fire and His purifying. And He will leave a remnant. He always leaves a remnant, whether that remnant consist of His people wholly, or whether it consists of His Spirit within each of us, and we each are left with His remnants within ourselves. I like your key to keeping the fire burning: to be continually in prayer and reading His Word.
Is 10.16Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.
17And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;
18And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth.
19And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.
20And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
21The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.
22For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.
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Thanks Kathy and for your listing of the scripture! I can always count on you to add more to my posts and take it one step further. I love when the Body of Christ works that way! Thank you for who you are and taking the time to reply in such detail. YOU are a blessing to me!
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Thank you, dear Maxine. I know I get wordy when it comes to God. Sometimes I just feel like He’s overflowing in me. I love this body of Christ, too. I appreciate the blessing you are.
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I LOVE that you are wordy!!! I appreciate you so much!
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Oh my, you are so kind. 😘
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Wow, Maxine. What an incredible message! And that last verse!
God loves you!
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LOVE YOU MUCH dear Gail! Hope it was an encouragement to you today!
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❤ You are and God's word both are always an encouragement! A blessing! ❤
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His Word is like a fire, and it should be burning brightly within all those of us who claim faith in Jesus Christ. Sadly, that is not the case, for many have let the flame go out, and they are living off of fumes, which is vapor, and which puts them in grave danger. And, so the Lord is calling out to them to rekindle that fire through repentance and through returning to their Lord in obedience to his commands. And, then his Word will be like a fire within them burning brightly for their Lord for all the world to see.
Thanks, Maxine, for what you shared here. I especially identify with the Word of God being like a fire within us.
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Thanks Sue for your comment that was so spot on! May HIS Spirit continue to burn brightly within you dear friend! Blessings on you and your family during this dark time…….shine bright!
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Maxine, thank you. Same to you. 🙂
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