Morning Devotional 020724 Stoke Your Fire

Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room

  February 7, 2024

Leviticus 6:8-13

8 The LORD said to Moses: 9 Command Aaron and his sons: This is the Instruction for the entirely burned offering—the entirely burned offering that must remain on the altar hearth all night until morning, while the fire is kept burning. 10 The priest will dress in his linen robe, with linen undergarments on his body. Because the fire will have devoured the entirely burned offering on the altar, he must remove the ashes and place them beside the altar. 11 The priest will then take off his clothes, dress in a different set of clothes, and take the ashes outside the camp to a clean location. 12 The altar fire must be kept burning; it must not go out. Each morning the priest will burn wood on it, will lay out the entirely burned offering on it, and will completely burn the fat of the well-being offering on it. 13 A continuous fire must be kept burning on the altar; it must not go out.

Good Morning! Make time to embrace the holy!

When we build a fire, we start with kindling. Once that kindling is burning well, we begin to add branches. Then, once the branches are burning, we add logs, starting with the smaller ones and working up to larger ones. Building and sustaining a burning fire requires action on the part of the builder. You must continue to add fuel (the wood) to the fire, or it burns itself out. To get a thorough burn, stir the embers to activate sparks to energize the fire. When we are ready to let the fire die down, we sit and watch, and very slowly, the glow fades away, and the fire is out. If necessary, we douse it with water or smother it.

This morning, let’s consider the fire as it relates to the Holy Spirit within us. At our baptism, God sends the Holy Spirit to live within us. It is up to us to tend the fire that God gives us. Our kindling is attending church and joining in fellowship with other believers. Once we get the kindling lit, we add branches like bible study, Sunday School, and daily prayer. Next, we add the logs of service, in-depth study, and devotion to our fire. To get that thorough burn, we stir the embers and energize our lives as we wrestle with Scripture to determine what God is telling us. 

If we stop tending the fire, it slowly burns out and dies. If we only sit and watch, the fire cannot survive. Sometimes our fire is doused and smothered by doubt and distractions, but the Good News is that by the grace of God, the Holy Spirit never allows the last of the embers to lose their glow. When we are ready, we can reignite the fire by adding fuel at any time. 

Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. 2 Timothy 1:6

Gracious God, Thank you for this beautiful gift of life. We love spending time by the fire, but sometimes, we get busy and don’t keep it fueled as we should. Thank you for keeping our embers glowing. We thank you! In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen

Thought for the day: Create time for fellowship with God!

Keep your fire stoked! Pastor Liz