“Is not My word like a burning fire?” Jeremiah 23:29
Dear Ones:
There are those who have put God in a box, and limit Him in the manner and extent of His working in the heart. Listen to Charles Wesley’s hymn: “Come, Jesus Lord, with holy fire; Come, and my quickened heart inspire cleansed in Thy precious blood: NOW to my soul Thyself reveal, Thy mighty working let me feel, since I am born of God.” Here is a man, Christ-centered man, who knows his own weakness and need, but has a vision of Who and What Christ is, and what He longs to give. Wesley is a man who believes in the intervention of God, by the Spirit, in the heart and soul of the seeking heart.
It was a sad day in the history of Israel, when we read: “….The word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no open vision.” (1 Samuel 3:1) Later we would read that the “lamp of God” would go out in the temple of the Lord. (v.3) Spiritual darkness would ensue because there was very little light, very little manifestation of the presence of the Lord. In the book of Revelation, the Lord addresses the church of Ephesus. After He speaks of their lack of “first love,” He admonishes them to repent, “…or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy lampstand (that instrument by which light is given…), out of his place.” (Rev. 2:5) The point in each of these illustrations is this: it is the will of God that His light, and that blessed burning desire for Him, be revealed, manifested and known through the nation, the church, and the believer. That revelation of His light and power is essential to faith, the salvation of men, and the accomplishment of His purposes.
But how do we know that God speaks to us? How do we discern that His Spirit is working in our hearts? After Jesus burial and resurrection, two of his disciples were walking on the road to Emmaeus. Jesus joined them, and began to expound to them the Old Testament Scriptures concerning His death and resurrection. After He had departed from them, they said one to another: “Did not our hearts BURN within us, while He talked with us by the way?” (Luke 24:32) Why is this declaration so significant? It reveals to us the truth of what Hebrews 4:12 declares: “…The word of God is living (quickening), and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.” The fact is that God, by His Spirit, speaks to our hearts, and causes them to burn with that desire, conviction, and wonderment, which only He can give. A concluding stanza in Wesley’s hymn goes like this: “NOW with a quenchless thirst inspire, a longing, infinite desire, and FILL my craving heart.” The word of God in Jeremiah’s day was like a burning fire. In Samuel’s day the fire had almost gone out. In the church of Ephesus, the fire, and the light were diminishing. What about the fire and light in us? Will we pray like Wesley prayed? Will we believe God to cause our hearts to again burn with desire for Him by causing His word to be to us like a burning fire?
Dear Father, give us to know that blessed burning, that great desire to hear Thy voice speaking to us through Thy word. Grip us with the conviction of the truth and certainty of Thy desire and will to speak to us, leading us with clarity and certainty, going forward in fellowship with Thee. May our hearts burn for Thee, as we sit at Your feet Lord Jesus, hearing Your word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad