Christ Is In the Fire
We aren’t supposed to seek the fire though. We are to seek Christ.
During lunch with a friend last week, we talked about the misconception some Christians have that goes something like this – a Christian attempts to live a life that is consistent with what the scriptures teach, and by doing so, he or she won’t have to endure hardship. Or not much hardship, anyway. They believe God will protect them from it.
The three young Hebrews came to mind as my buddy and I talked. They either had to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar or face the fiery furnace that had been heated to seven times its normal temperature.
They made a statement of faith in the face of adversity: “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Daniel 3:16-18 ESV).
You know the story. They were cast into the furnace but were protected by a Christ figure (a theophany or Christophany). But the figure didn’t prevent them from being thrown into the fire. He did, however, meet them in the flames.
Christ is in the fire. That’s often where we meet him.
He can’t be our deliverer if we aren’t in need of being delivered. He can’t be our refuge if we aren’t in a dangerous or painful situation. He can’t be our healer unless we are wounded or sick.
If we aren’t in the fire, we are prone to believe and act like we don’t need him because everything is going well. But as the flames threaten us, we cry out to him; and being in the flames gives us the opportunity to share in Christ’s sufferings. That’s what Peter wrote.
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:12-13 ESV).
I love how Matthew Henry talks about this verse.
“Though they [trials] be sharp and fiery, yet they are designed only to try, not to ruin them, to try their sincerity, strength, patience, and trust in God,” Henry wrote. “On the contrary, they ought rather to rejoice under their sufferings, because theirs may properly be called Christ's sufferings. They are of the same kind, and for the same cause, that Christ suffered; they make us conformable to him; he suffers in them, and feels in our infirmities.”
In recent months, I’ve had a few health scares/concerns. On bad days, I was anxious. On good days, I sought Christ in the fire.
We aren’t supposed to seek the fire though. We are to seek Christ.
August Spotlight
God has called you to fly solo — at least for now. Make the most of it.
Never-married Christians over the age of twenty-five have many unique challenges. We struggle with the way we are perceived, both inside and outside the church. We wonder if God plans for us to remain unmarried our entire lives, and if he does, how we will ever make it. And, in recent decades, we’ve even been caught in the courtship vs. dating crossfire.
In this 30-day devotional, Lee — himself a never-married 50-something — walks you through these issues, and more, exploring what the Bible has to say, using humor, honesty, and an encouraging tone.
Return to Cricket Springs is currently on sale at Kobo for $2.99 (e-book) in Canada and the United States. The sale runs through August 7.
Here are some tidbits you might find interesting this week:
“And she was no longer crushed by the disappointments. Because the hurts would come. But God always carried the healing in His hands.” -Laura Fortenberry
This woman went on a mission to photograph every item she owns (more than 12,000). When she was done, she came to this conclusion: “only 1% of these objects are important: 99% I could get rid of.”
“I sometimes think poetry is best caught in snatches, like snippets of song from a passing car.” -Elisa Gabbert
Here’s a beautiful article about trusting God when the landscape changes by S.E. Reid.
Amy Carmichael’s Unexpected Path to Missions included so many setbacks and redirects.
When Lee isn’t writing essays, devotional books, or Christian fiction, he is a freelance editor, as well as a freelance journalist who has written hundreds of articles for various newspapers and magazines. He’s also a fan of NASCAR, baseball, tennis, books, movies and coffee shops.