Warm Yourself By The Fire

“When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.” Psalms 94:19 

There’s something comforting about a fire. There’s nothing like sitting by the fireplace on a cold winter’s day. It’s so soothing to gather around a roaring fire when you go camping, and it’s cold and rainy. The Bible says that our God is a consuming fire. He is there for us in the hardest of times. 

You will have rainy days. Moses found himself in a cold and gloomy season when he thought he would deliver the Israelites from Egypt but ended up in the wilderness where nothing was happening. His purpose was lost, and he was convinced he had missed God’s will for his life. But sooner or later, if you keep holding onto God and what He’s told you to do, the fire will come. Moses ended up encountering God at the burning bush. You have to keep a fire burning in your spirit, especially on the cold, rainy days. You have to keep a fire going when things get tough. And Moses got that fire within him burning once again, and he was recommissioned, and God began to use him mightier than he ever imagined. But he had to make it through the hard days in his life.

The famous prophet Elijah was so depressed at one point that he prayed that he would die. He wanted to commit suicide. He got under the juniper tree and gave up. Jezebel was trying to kill him, and he just began to pray (paraphrased), “God, just let me die. I can’t take this pressure anymore. This woman’s trying to kill me. Ahab’s trying to kill me. I don’t know what to do. It’s a cold day. It’s a terrible day.” But finally, God said, “You go up on the mountain because I’m going to send fire to your cold, rainy day.” After God’s encouragement and assurance, Elijah went on to do many great things and God was glorified in his life in a mighty way.

Right after the disciples endured the trauma of the crucifixion, Jesus made a fire on the beach and called them over to relax and have breakfast with Him. (John 21) He wanted their last physical memories with Him to be warm and safe by a fire.

After Jesus ascended, the disciples were in the Upper Room. Their Savior was gone. And there in the Upper Room, they had assembled themselves. It had been a cold, dark season. But suddenly, the Bible said, there came a sound from heaven, and the fire of Pentecost hit that place. God invaded their cold, rainy day with the fire of His Holy Spirit, and the church was born. 

God knows how to send the fire to your coldest, dreariest days. You may be going through something difficult, but the fire of God will always be there with you, giving you the strength to go on.

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