Life can feel like an all-consuming fire especially if you are not prepared for the flames that have come up around you. If you are lacking the proper equipment to extinguish the fire, then you can be certain that the flames will grow hotter, more fierce, and feel as though the flames are impossible to put out.
Your world may feel like it’s on fire and burning down to the ground but here is what I am confident of:
1. You are on the right path God has called you to and are engaging in spiritual warfare.
or
2. God is setting your world on fire in pursuit of you.
There is another one in the fire with you and His name is Jesus. Regardless of your number, Jesus is the living water to extinguish the flames.
You can walk out with nothing but ashes or you can walk out untouched and a fighter with Jesus.
To the One that is the First Person
You know that God has a plan for you, a purpose, and a calling for each season of your life planned for you. I don’t have to remind you of this wonderful truth that is confirmed in God’s Word.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11
Just as certain as it is that God has a plan for your life, you can be certain that the enemy will throw darts, distractions, and problems at you to try and discourage you from pursuing the will God has for your life.
It may seem that all of a sudden your world goes up in flames but you have the confidence to know that Jesus is with you.
This is your reminder to always put on the Armor Of God daily. It is so important to be prepared, expecting, and ready to put the fires out. Just as you can expect the enemy to derail your plans, you can also expect that Jesus is in the fire with you and when you call on Him, His living water extinguishes the sting of the flames.
To the One that is the Second Person
Perhaps, you once had a zeal for the LORD and fulfilling His purpose He had for you but you’ve found yourself back in bondage over the sin you have been freed from or maybe you have been set free. Maybe you have let negative thoughts take over your mind, or have been distracted to the point of what feels like no return. Sometimes the battle we fight can get the best of you and the desires the LORD has placed deep within your heart fade away.
Maybe you have never pursued a relationship with God.
I want to remind you that grace is not under the fire but it is within the fire with you. It can’t be burned to ashes, it can’t be driven away, and it can’t be lost.
Grace can only be rejected by you. It never left you in the fire alone. The One in the fire with you holds the keys to grace, and His name is Jesus. He is the living water.
John 4:14 ESV – But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
We can be confident in knowing that God knew there would times when you would stumble and fall short of His grace but Psalm 37:24 tells us
“though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.”
If your world seems to be crumbling to the flames around you, perhaps God is in pursuit of your life? It might be time to reevaluate your heart posture, your actions, your social circles, and really let God do a heart check. At first, it doesn’t feel “good” as our inward flaws, desires, and true self are revealed. With God, we can expect the process to be gracefully done between you and Him inside the fire. When it’s time to arise from the ashes, you will have a powerful story to tell, a newfound faith, and a purpose deep within your heart.
Whether you are the first or second person, that’s between you and God.
I trust that God has revealed to you which person you are and if your heart is open, He is already working in your life. If your heart isn’t open, then you can expect your world to burn to the ground and you will be left with ashes. Don’t let another day go by without saying, “yes” to Jesus. He doesn’t give up on His pursuit.
Isaiah 58:11 ESV – And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
Personal Reflection
- Are you Number One or Number Two?
- In light of this discovery, what else can you observe in your relationship with Jesus?
- In what areas of your life do you need to surrender to God?
- How can you wholeheartedly seek God starting now?
Heavenly Father,
I come to you with all that I am and I give you my heart. Search me and know me, reveal to me the areas in my life that need to be revived and that need to be watered by your grace, love, and mercy. Thank you for your endless pursuit of me.
With all my love and encouragement,
Hannah B.
Collective Circle Gathering 