“Our God is a consuming fire.” (Heb 12:29)
Fire is an interesting substance because it can consume.
Jeremiah lamented in the days following Judah’s fall to Babylon,
“In fierce anger [due to Judah’s sin]…[God] has burned in Jacob like a flaming fire that consumes everything around it.” (Lam 2:3)
But fire is also used to transform into permanency. You put the alloy into the fire, you heat it, and it becomes steel – hard and tempered by the fire.
Jeremiah continued his crying out to God (he held nothing back.) And as he did, his perspective began to change. While still in pain, his focus turned from his circumstances to the promises of God. From that moment, a transformation ensued. Notice how his prayer changed…
“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are *not consumed*, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (3:21-23)
As Jeremiah prayed, his circumstances were the same – but Jeremiah was not.
Jeremiah suddenly found God’s fire not consuming him down to ash, but transforming him into steel.
So fire is interesting in that it can transform some things into permanency while consuming others.
It all depends on the material it’s working with.
Oh great and mighty God, my Rock of Ages, my Deliverer and Savior, help me today to “call to mind” your boundless love for me, that because of your great love I am not consumed. It’s easy to trust you when my life is good. Please help me to trust you when I am confused, anxious, fearful and suffering. Help me to say with your servant, Job, “When has tested me, I will emerge as pure/refined gold.” (23:10) Help me to trust you to be my Refining Fire (Cf. Malachi 3:2).
Amen