Fire

THIS TOO SHALL PASS

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SUN . RAIN 2
For he looks throughout the whole earth
and sees everything under the heavens.
He decides how hard the winds should blow
and how much rain should fall.
He made the laws for the rain
and laid out a path for the lightning.
Job 28:24-16

“All good things must come to an end…” How many times have we heard that statement. And usually, whether we verbalize it or not, our next thought is, but bad things last forever!  And I must admit, sometimes it seems that way!

The saying, though true in its concept, is not a truth, but a half-truth. All good things must surely come to an end, but so must all bad things. Nothing lasts forever and there is definitely comfort in that fact. Sometimes there are things that we can do to effect the process and sometimes there is not. The only thing we can control in either situation is our attitude.

When the sun is shining on your face and life is good, bask in its rays…exult in its warm embrace. Throw off your cloak of worries, fears and inhibitions and walk barefoot through the lush green meadows of contentment with a song of thanksgiving in your heart!

But what about the times when the dark clouds gather, thunder is heard in the distance and only lightening illuminates your pathway? Those are the times, My Friend, when you put all of your trust in the Lord. In the midst of the storm, you confidently take His strong hand and learn to dance in the rain! Look up to the heavens and whirl and twirl between droplets and be refreshed by those that hit their mark, knowing that it is the rain that makes the flowers grow. And know above all, that the sun is still behind the clouds and will emerge again in all its splendor…if not today, then perhaps tomorrow. But it will surely return with a rainbow announcing its presence!

You must fight the good fight of faith each day no matter what the climate…stay the course and never, never give up! Set your face like a flint in the face of the storm and push through the wind gusts one step at a time…three steps forward, two steps back. It doesn’t matter, you are making progress and that’s what counts. And when the wind subsides and you only feel soft raindrops on your face, begin your dance once again… a dance of joy at God’s faithfulness!

And make a conscious choice to believe another familiar saying… “This too shall pass.” I love this verse from the Bible in Isaiah 43:2-3 NLT. “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Psalm 30:5 NLT

DUST OFF YOUR BELLOWS

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PROCRASTINATION
Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin,
for their hands refuse to work.
Proverbs 21:25

I want to make a confession. You won’t tell will you? Are your ears perked up? Is your attention peaked? First of all, I’m going to see if you can guess where I’m going. This culprit…I wouldn’t necessarily call it a sin, although it could be…keeps me from achieving my ultimate goals in life. It provides the whip for a lot of self-flagellation (figuratively speaking, of course). It keeps me guilt-ridden and ineffective when I yield to its smooth, laid-back enticements. Its words are as smooth and inviting as the chocolate Frosty I get at…well, you know where! But, just like that Frosty, after I’ve partaken, I can feel the guilt of the indulgence weighing me down. Any ideas yet?

Okay…okay, enough suspense! This sneaky, slithering, but most effective spawn of Satan is embodied in one word…procrastination! Truthfully, I’m not even sure that Satan has anything to do with it many times. I’m quite sure that I am perfectly capable of talking myself into relaxing into its open arms…and the excuses for doing so are innumerable! “I’m just too tired.” “It can wait until tomorrow.” “I don’t feel well.” “I’m just not in the right frame of mind.” They go on and on…ad infinitum. Can you relate? If not, I am very envious of your tremendous self-control!

For example, at the beginning of every year I say I am going to journal. I start out the first week doing pretty well, but I can’t tell you how many new journals I have started that have only a few entries. And this blog? For a long time I was very faithful to write every two or three days. Then disruptions came, as they often will and I got lazy. (Laziness is a close relative of procrastination.) I procrastinated for so long that I lost inspiration…not a good thing for a writer. What does the Bible say about such a situation? Paul the Apostle says to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:6, “This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.”

Does the Bible say for you to pray that the enthusiasm for your spiritual gift be restored? No. Does it say to get your pastor to pray? No. Does it say for you to believe that your enthusiasm be restored? No. Well, what does it say then? It says for YOU to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you! It is up to you and me! God is not going to prod us with a lightening bolt. He may speak to us softly in our inner man, but He will not make us do anything.

If you have a tendency to be a procrastinator, as I do, it will not be easy to change that lifestyle or habit. It will take initiative and determination! It will not be comfortable. Our mind and body almost always want to follow the path of least resistance. But even though I am a procrastinator, I am also a very strong-willed person. When I have had enough of my own laziness, I make myself fan those smoldering embers of whatever project I have started or need to start until they become a full fledged fire! Embers have potential, but Holy Spirit Fire is powerful! People can see it from afar and draw close to the warmth of its glow. And the more you fan it, the more powerful it becomes.

I’ve often heard it said, “You can be pitiful or powerful, but you can’t be both.” I would like to add a saying of my own to that one. “You can procrastinate or proliferate, but you can’t do both!”

I encourage you today, as I did in beginning my writing again, dust off your bellows and start fanning that fire within you until it flames brightly once again!