FIRES (DEVOTIONAL)

God is The God who seeks personal relationship with us. He is persistant to heal us and rebuild us (Isaiah 61).

Jeremiah 17
“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?
10 But I, the Lord, search all hearts
and examine secret motives.

God doesn't want us to be puppets but wants a genuine, real relationship with us. He gives us the gift of choice/free will. He also allows us to experience what happens in this world when we choose. His wisdom is perfect. Just like a child touching the stove... He or she learns. Eventually, sometimes. :) But that child is curious and doesn't always take his or her parents at their words but wants to experience the freedom of experiencing that choice...walking through the consequences.



Galatians 6:8
For the one who sows to HIS OWN flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the God's Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Seek's God's wisdom, talks with Him, asks)

Galatians 5:17
For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh (sinful nature/old way of living/thinking/choosing/reasoning); for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

God knows that hard times will come and that tough choices are inevitable. Jesus experienced these... more than we know.



Hebrews 2:18
For since He (Jesus) Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.

Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

What is important to remember is that Jesus left His Father in Heaven and became fully man:

Philippians 2:7
but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

He was tempted by Satan and our sinful nature but He was without sin because He prayed/depended on God to give Him the truth to battle lies and the strength to escape acting on those temptations. It's so EASY to forget that Jesus gave into the world fully God but fully man. He can sympathize with our weaknesses.

When the fires came, what did Jesus do? He prayed and sought out His Father...

When the fires come in our lives, sometimes we are the ones who ignite the flame by our choices. Sometimes we are the victims of the matches/choices of another. However, we also go through fires of growth with God.
Daniel 3:25, 27-28 (New Living Translation) “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!” (The furnace was heated 7 times hotter than it was typically thus when the 3 Israelites were thrown into the furnance, the guards died due to the heat. Despite the extra heat and the blazing flames, there was a 4th person/shape of a person walking IN the fire WITH the 3 men. That man was Jesus! Wow, HUH!).



So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. 27 Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.



Whether the fires are thrust upon us by our choices, the choices of others (our family, ancestors, friends, strangers), or by God... He is WITH us...




Isaiah 43:2
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you... When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.


Sometimes His words will burn within us... showing us our need for God. His words guide us and grow us.


Psalm 12:6
The words of the LORD are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.

Psalm 66:10
For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined.


The fires that we cause can cause us a pain that breaksdown and leaves us feeling charred. We are left feeling like ashes. The fires that refine us- in God's care do the opposite: they don't leave us broken down but rebuild. They don't charr but burn off what is hindering us. We are left feeling and living more free and whole.




Friends, if you'd rather not get these emails :), I put these devotionals on our blog... http://steveandmer.blogspot.com/ Love you all very much!!
Mer.



Nicky introduced this song to me 2 years ago... so good... Natatlie Grant's "Real Me."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5kz9wU2QXU

Natalie Grant's, "Real Me"

Foolish heart looks like we're here again
Same old game of plastic smile
Don't let anybody in
Hiding my heartache, will this glass house break
How much will they take before I'm empty
Do I let it show, does anybody know?

But You (Jesus) see the real me
Hiding in my skin, broken from within
Unveil me completely
I'm loosening my grasp
There's no need to mask my frailty
Cause you see the real me

Painted on, life is behind a mask
Self-inflicted circus clown
I'm tired of the song and dance
Living a Charade, always on parade
What a mess I've made of my existence
But you love me even now
And still I see somehow

But you see the real me
Hiding in my skin, broken from within
Unveil me completely
I'm loosening my grasp
There's no need to mask my frailty
Cause you see the real me

Wonderful, beautiful is what you see
When you look at me
You're turning the tattered fabric of my life into
A perfect tapestry
I just wanna be me

But you see the real me
Hiding in my skin, broken from within
Unveil me completely
I'm loosening my grasp
There's no need to mask my frailty
Cause you see the real me

And you love me just as I am

Wonderful, Beautiful is what you see
When you look at me