Pastor’s Corner: “Feeding the Fire”
Leviticus 6:12 (AMP) – 12 The fire on the altar shall be kept burning; it shall not [be allowed to] go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on it and offer the fat portions of the peace offerings up in smoke on it.
Modern furnaces have taken the work out of keeping warm in cold climates. We simply set the timer on the thermostat, and the house is warm when we get up in the morning. But in former days, fire was carefully tended and fuel supplies were closely monitored. Running out could be deadly. The same is true spiritually. If we think our “spiritual fire” can be ignited as easily as a modern furnace, we risk losing our fervor for the Lord.
God could not have been clearer: The fire on the altar was never to go out. By keeping the fire burning, they were reminded of God’s presence with them. They were reminded of their history and how He had guided them in the past, protecting and providing for them all along the way. They were reminded about His promises and laws, and their past commitments to Him. But they also were reminded about His character. As Moses would tell them, God “is a consuming fire” (Deuteronomy 4:24).
The priests were instructed not to let the fire on the altar go out (Lev. 6:9,12-13). This required a lot of work, not the least of which was collecting firewood in a land not known for its dense forests. Some scholars see the fire on the altar as a symbol for the flame of our devotion for the Lord. Spiritual passion is not something to be treated lightly or taken for granted. It will grow cold if we fail to keep it supplied with fuel. The apostle Paul addressed the subject of spiritual fervor in Romans 12:1-2 (NIV) – Living Sacrifice – Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. To keep the fire of our devotion burning strong, we must continue the hard work of stocking our fuel supply with hope, patience, steadfast prayer, generosity, hospitality, and humility (vv.11-16).
When the Bible talks about laying down our lives as living sacrifices the implication of this is painful. Sometimes it does hurt, but by keeping the fire burning and living, God’s light will shine through us people will see him instead of us. Matthew 5:16 (NIV) – 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. “Get on fire for God and men will come and see you burn” – John Wesley
There is a story of a group of fishermen who while out fishing got caught in a storm. The wives of all the fishermen gathered to pray. While praying for their husbands’ safety, one of the houses in the village caught fire. The women tried to put it out, but with all the men out at sea there were not enough people, and the house burned to the ground. The next morning the storm cleared and to the joy of everyone the fishermen were will alive and made their way into the harbor. The women whose house burned to the ground was filled with joy when she saw her husband but then with sadness as she told him how the house had burned down. Her husband said to her ‘Praise God that our house burned, if it weren’t for that burning light at shore we would all have drowned last night.’ You see the pain of the burning house was actually the salvation for the fishermen.
Life isn’t always comfortable, but wherever we find ourselves, even within the heat of painful circumstances, we must keep our fire burning for God. Let’s keep shining for him.
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton