Hunting in the Rockies can be treacherous. I usually hunt at over nine thousand feet and even in the fall, temperatures often drop well below freezing. On many an occasion, I have encountered a winter storm that brought subzero temperatures and one to three feet of snow. Knowing how to stay warm in such conditions is an art form.
The skill of building and maintaining a fire is the key to survival. Whether it’s in a canvas tent with a cast iron stove or outside in a fire pit, the warmth of a fire is necessary for health in severe weather
The work of staying warm under inclement conditions, involves finding dry wood, cutting it, splitting it, and using it over a few days. It takes work and maintenance.
Fire for God
The building of a physical fire takes planning, skill, and constant maintenance. To build and maintain a fire for God is not dissimilar. It also takes work.
To get up each day and light the fire of God in our heart is not easy. To light up the dry wood of our heart, means opening God’s Word, repenting of our sins, and asking God to show up. Jeremiah wrote of this fire, “…His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones” (Jeremiah 20:9). Jeremiah understood that his fire for God was necessary to spiritual survival.
Brian Doerksen, in his haunting song describes the journey of lighting and maintain a fire for God,
Don’t let our love grow cold
I’m calling out light the fire again
Don’t let our vision die
I’m calling out light the fire again.
You know my heart my deeds
I’m calling out light the fire again
I need Your discipline
I’m calling out light the fire again.
Indeed, God does know when our hearts grow cold. God understands that our vision dies. God knows all our deeds. And He beckons us each day to relight the fire of our relationship with Him.
Light the fire again! Even amid spiritual winter storms that bring disappointment, discouragement, and depression, ask God for the discipline you need to light the fire again. It takes work, effort, and focus but it’s the only way to survive.
Pastor Steve
