“Never let the fire in your heart go out. Keep it alive. Serve the Lord. When you hope, be joyful. When you suffer, be patient. When you pray, be faithful. Share with God’s people who are in need. Welcome others into your homes.” – Romans 12:11-13

Have you ever tried explaining something, or telling a story when you don’t feel excited about it? When you don’t feel passionate about it?

On the other hand, have you ever surprised yourself when you share a story with someone and you can feel that passion within you creating the words that you need to say? The prayers that you need to pray? That fire of God, the passion He placed within you literally giving way to whatever you need to say…

“My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned; Then I spoke…” – Psalm 39:3

I’ve been thinking about fire a lot lately, what it does, why I need to have and maintain a fire in my heart…

The Lord first uses fire to take out all of the things that get in our way within our hearts, within our lives — the things that get in His way.

“Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” – Jeremiah 23:29

“And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’” – Zechariah 13:9

And from that fire – that terrifying, wonderful, renewing fire…there is a regeneration, and new life begins to grow.

Did you know that some plants need fire in order for the seeds to be released to germinate and grow?

“Giant sequoias, the planet’s largest trees and among the oldest living things on Earth—many of the largest are over 3,000 years old—depend on fire to help them reproduce.”

Isn’t that wild? Sure does sound like God, doesn’t it?

-Heather ?