All-Consuming Fire
By Brita Crouse
[Trials] have come so that your
faith - - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by
fire - - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when
Jesus Christ is revealed.
1 Peter 1:7 (NIV)
I went
to college in the-middle-of-nowhere Indiana, literally surrounded by
cornfields. There wasn’t much available to students as far as entertainment, so
most of the time, we had to make our own fun. In the springtime, one thing we
always looked forward to was the annual Prairie Burn. My school owns a small,
nearby prairie that is used by the Environmental Science department for
research and observation. Every year, the department sets the prairie ablaze
and students gather to watch the flames consume this small plot of land.
Why does
the prairie have to be set on fire every year? The answer may seem a little
counterintuitive: It is so re-growth can happen. There is something about fire
that produces rich soil, allowing for healthy plants to grow abundantly. Fire
also controls the spread of harmful or invasive plants within the prairie.
Basically, fire is necessary in maintaining a healthy ecosystem and a thriving
prairie.
I was
listening to the song “All-Consuming Fire” by the band Jesus Culture and
thought, “I am just like that blazing prairie.” I was experiencing a huge
transition phase in life, and it had been a big trial. I felt as though I was
sitting in the hottest part of the fire. I think we can all relate to this
“prairie feeling,” though. We have all had times where we can’t see through the
smoke and flames to know which way is up.
But,
there is hope! Fire may consume us at times, but every time we face a trial, we
are made stronger through the process. Those “invasive plants” in our lives are
burned up and we are made ready to have our faith grow. Gold is put through
fire to make it pure and free of any blemishes. We are put through fire for the
same reason. Going through fire may be hot and uncomfortable, but the end far
outweighs the means. Seasons of trial only bring us closer to God, and create a
dependence on Him that could not come from any other process.
Because
of fire, our faith is strengthened and refined, and that is reason enough to be
grateful for those times we feel like the Prairie Burn.
GOING
DEEPER:
1. How
are you being refined through the fire?
2. Listen
to “All-Consuming Fire” by Jesus Culture (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beWTuiQiK1E).
Make this your prayer today.
FURTHER
READING:
Brita
recently moved back to her home state of Wisconsin where she works as an
Elementary School Counselor. She and her family have attended Oakwood for 20
years.
