Just this week, while doing a devotional reading I have (The Secret Place [Judson Press]) one of the days was about a perpetual flame. The author talked about a fire in an England hearth that was kept stoked for 200 years. The gist, of course, was about the fire of the Holy Spirit that burns in each of us.
AND there goes my brain again!!
One of the first things that came to mind was the Olympic flame that is lit to start the games and has traveled across many miles and many countries ...and remains lit until the close of the games.
I also thought about our wood fire. We burn wood as our source of heat in the winter....and you do NOT want the fire going out....especially in the 25 below zero days.....if the fire goes out for any length of time it takes quite a long time to get the house warmed back up to a comfortable, livable temperature.
I am sure most of you can figure out where I might go with this....and actually I feel there is lots of spiritual application to both scenarios.
What is the condition of your "hearth"? When we accept Christ as our Savior He gives us the Holy Spirit to "dwell within us"
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? 1 Corinthians 16:19
“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:25-27
In Acts 2, the disciples and other followers of Christ were gathered shortly after Jesus ascension into heaven. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit....Acts 2:3
So the Holy Spirit can be likened to a fire with in us!
How is your fire doing!? Are we constantly feeding our fire, so that it remains strong, giving warmth and light to all those around.
or do we forget to tend our fire, and it grows dim, just embers that are very hard for others to feel the light and warmth? Do we need to stir those embers back to a flame and begin "feeding" it again?
or have we let the fire go out all together? have we left it untended for so long that we almost have to start the process again?
One wonderful thing about the Holy Spirit and our relationship with Christ is once you have accepted Christ as your Savior and the Spirit lives in you....It isn't going any where....but we can neglect it to the point that it is unrecognizable in us. If we are sincere in our acceptance of who Christ is, we are His for eternity.....but we MUST tend that relationship, that "flame", in order to live a life worthy of Him.
As we run this race called life....
We MUST tend our "flame" so that we can carry it where ever we go and allow it to spread Christ's love and light every where we are!
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2
Have you feed your fire today!?
God has your heart. Thanks for sharing it. Keep the flames alive. I'm with you.
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