Years ago, I lived in the Smoky mountains in a small town near the border of North Carolina. In winter, many people burned coal to keep warm. I did not realize the heat, power, and longevity of that little black rock until I placed a small lump in my fireplace.

Coal is only a rock, but when ignited, glows, warms, and creates a super-hot, long-lasting fire. Coal is used for refining metals. Coal under pressure becomes a diamond. Who knew what power could be released in a little rock?

Jesus is The Rock, The Cornerstone. We’re just little rocks until our world is rocked by The Rock. When Jesus’ love fires within us, our sins are consumed by His grace and mercy. His light, His Holy Fire refines, cleanses, and shines eternal light.

Our God in His gracious mercy is the consuming fire that burns away our sin (Malachi 3:3). The refiner’s fire tests, examines, displaying the nature of the object tested. God is the consuming fire that burns away the temporal to give us the eternal (Zechariah 13:9). His Holy flame burns away things that block His peace, His joy, His love, and His glory (Psalm 66:10).

The fiery testing proves genuine faith, for a faith that works in the fire is real faith (1 Peter 1:7).

Our Savior is the One who walks with us in the fire to bring us through the fire (Daniel 3:25-27).

Jesus baptizes us with His Holy Spirit igniting our souls with His fire (Luke 3:16). Through the Holy Spirit our words are ignited by God’s love (Acts 2:3). God’s angels minister on holy fire (Hebrews 1:7).

As Paul wrote to Timothy, stir up, kindle afresh, and fan into flame the gracious gift of God’s inner fire (2 Timothy 1:6).

“Let us give to God our hearts, all blazing with love, and seek His grace, that the fire may never be quenched.” ~ Charles Spurgeon

Remember to stay fired up!

Heavenly Father, thank You for the inner fire that comes from You. Help me to stay fired up for You. When I’m in fiery trials, help me to remember You walk with me in the fire and you will help me walk through. Help my soul to stay burning with Your love so that I may spread Your love.

God’s Timeless Truth

“I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘These are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God’” (Zechariah 13:9, NLT).

“For You, O God, have proved us; You have tried us as silver is tried, refined, and purified” (Psalm 66:10, AMPC).

“These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So, when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world” (1 Peter 1:7, NLT).

Jesus “will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16c).

“That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] …” (2 Timothy 1:6, AMPC).

From, Time with The Timeless One by Lisa Buffaloe, https://amzn.to/2WRjJ6D