September 17, 2017

We have now been putting out smokes, chipping, hiking and pulling out hose for more than two weeks. Our families, life and work all had to be put on hold because of the threat of this phenomenon…fire. The experts will tell you that its merely a combination of air, fuel and heat. Removing any one of the elements will put the tetrahedron out. Sure, this is true, but we are all here because of its ability to re-form at any moment.  It has fascinated men and women for centuries. You can see hieroglyphics of fire on cave walls, countless household uses, furnaces and its many destructive uses in war. It has power to consume good and bad things around us.

The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart.

Fire consumes, but it literally changes the chemical composition of things. The writer in proverbs mentions fire here in the context of a crucible or furnace for gold and silver. Placing gold and silver in a furnace, filled with fire, makes the impurities rise to the top. It is the heat, the fire, that lifts the impurities to the surface, its our choice if we want to scoop them out. Its our choice to leave a purer substance behind. Sometimes, this is hard to swallow. That testing, burning, even fire can help purify us. I have found that in the hardest times, I see parts of me I don’t like, parts of me that are selfish, undisciplined and frankly…need to be scooped out and purifed. As your legs burn and thoughts of your life outside of the Guard ping in your head, take a second and see if you need to do some scooping. I know I do.

Join me for a service from 2000-2030 (8:00-8:30pm) @C2 tent in Deadwood