One of our new additions this year to our home has been a wood burner in the living room and boy does it give some heat!

Ever since it arrived a few months ago, I have found myself sometimes just staring in, at its flames. 🔥

And I think about how our God describes himself in his word.

Deuteronomy 4:24

²⁴ For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

Fire, what else do we have on earth that is like a fire?

What else do we have? That is like the strange dancing bright thing? This thing that moves and grows, this thing that burns and consumes. What do we have that is similar to this?

To be honest, I think it’s quite unique. I think the fire that we have is such an awesome way to get a picture of and understand our God. To see a sliver of him through this piece of his creation.

For anyone who has one of these fires at home, you may understand the difficulty in getting it to light and keeping it lit.

It’s amazing how that one thing can have two vastly different effects depending on what’s inside its flame. It’s incredible to know that the burner of the wood is the purifier to the diamond. 💎 It’s incredible to see the same flame pour out a rage which destroys and yet whose very flame can bring shine ✨ and perfection.

But the process and the result really depends on what material is on the altar. You see friend it really depends on what you are. You and I were never made to be dismantled and destroyed, you and I were never meant to cease in the way the paper does in the flame. No, you and I were meant to be unravelled in his love and in his presence. You and I were meant to shine and sparkle in him. We were never meant to be so fragile and yet here we are.

Here we are bodies of wood with souls of diamonds.

Here we are diamonds wrapped in wood. 🪵

But here before his altar, he has gathered us, he hand picked us and chose us to enter his home. One by one he lifts us and asks the question.

“ Would you like to be on the altar today?”

Would you like to be fire breathed upon today?

Would you willingly come today? To be consumed.

Would you willingly lay upon the bed of altar ashes?

Will you rest upon his mantle?

Would you like to be new? Would you like to dust off the flakes of wood that have tried to hold you down.

Would you like to be consumed in his fire knowing that when the wood comes off the diamond comes out.

Give up your wood Pinocchio. You’re getting ready to become a real boy. Flesh is coming, hearts will be beating, legs no longer walking but they will be running. 🏃

And right before the outburst of fame upon you will be something quiet and silent, something still but oh so deadly.

There will be a deep smoulder in silence, Beginning at the bottom and moving its way up and up before going out. A smoulder so hot and consuming that it’s drying up, it’s taking ground, it’s taking captive all of that waste land inside.

God’s getting ready to burn. 🔥 God’s getting ready to consume.

He knocks on a door of glass, hoping that you’ll open, so that he can join you and you can join him.

Hebrews 12:28-29

²⁸ Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. ²⁹ For our God is a devouring fire.