A Beacon and a Consuming Fire
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Exodus 13:20-22
20. And they moved on from Succoth, and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 21. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night; 22. the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.
Hebrews 12:28-29; 13:5-6
28. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe; 29. for our God is a consuming fire. 13 5. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, "I will never fail you nor forsake you." 6. Hence we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid; what can man do to me?"
Fire seems to be the theme of the day. I excluded several other verses referring to God as a “consuming fire” as they didn’t really seem to fit. I don’t know about you but I am fascinated with fire--there is something almost hypnotic about sitting around a campfire at night, sparks flying up into the night sky. Fire is also frightening when it consumes acres and acres of trees and grasses and runs over a mountain like water.
Okay, I added the verses from Chapter 13 back in because I opened there first this morning. The “quote from God” is indented and set off so one’s eye is automatically drawn to it. When life overwhelms us, this promise is sometimes all we have to cling to. God offers us more security than all the amassed fortunes in the world! His love is eternal and will follow us into our next life. The stock market crashes. Commodities markets take a nosedive. We lose jobs. Hurricanes and floods destroy our homes and businesses. Our God promises us a life with him that cannot be destroyed. He is our comfort, our assurance and hope, and yes, a consuming fire. He wants to burn away all this world has burdened us with and leave us refined and shining and perfect--like Him.
Fire can also have a good impact on nature. When trees are burned to the ground, new life springs up afterward. That’s how God works in us. He burns away all the past and makes a way for us to begin a new life in Jesus Christ. Our beacon by day and night now is not a pillar of cloud or fire, but the Cross. Just as fire warms us on a prematurely cold autumn night in the woods; keeps the “wild animals” from approaching us; affords us a “center” to a circle of fellowship with other campers, God’s love warms us, protects us, invites us in to fellowship with him. I don’t know if these visuals are even working for you! I’m not very articulate this morning!
God gave the Israelites all they needed to find their way to the promised land. He gave us an even better “roadmap to heaven.” How could we doubt God’s faithfulness when after thousands of years of grumbling and wandering off into the wilderness alone, we still didn’t get it--and what did He do? God loves us so much he didn’t give up on us! No! He sent Jesus. The ultimate sacrifice at the altar of eternal life. Though he was saddened, and angry with us, he could not abandon us. And he sent Jesus to tell us once and for all, in no uncertain terms, “I will never fail you nor forsake you."
I hope as you go out into the world this morning you keep the cloud pillar that is God ever before you. And that you remember the even more perfect reminder of his love, throughout every minute of your day.
Mary
