“Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.
“Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘This is what the Lord has said: “Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.”’ And Aaron held his peace.” Leviticus 9:22-10:3
Blaze of holy acceptance. Burning of feverish passion. Consuming flames of judgment. Fire from God and within the heart of man takes different forms and performs different functions, but always leaves its irreversible mark. The fire God created for both good and harm must be discerned.
And how do we accomplish that? Emotion swells at the completion of a great feat, or under the glow of satisfaction at receiving approval of it. Passions and impulse ignite when euphoria summons, ofttimes leading to rash decisions. The shocking blow of sudden change or death can arrest our most joy-filled intentions, and leave us paralyzed. In order to test the fire of God and utilize it for His purposes, we must discern according to His righteous standard.
It’s vital we consecrate ourselves to rid of preconceptions and unhealthy or godless motives. Coming clean before the holy God issues clear sight and a pure heart to know His ways and will. What fascinations, selfish interest, or prurient dabbling are tainting our ability to determine what is of God and what is not? Is there some tug of temptation, or stain of long-held sin habit, that needs be cut off or out? Are there loose emotions that we unwisely give sway to control (and contort) our decision-making? When the Lord inspires and leads, He does so with order, reason, and mutual spiritual testifying. (Leviticus 10:10-11; 11:44; Romans 8:16; 1 Corinthians 14:33; James 3:17)
We can rejoice in God’s flames. He is faithful to bless and direct. He is kind to separate and consume worthless dross. And He is as loving to check unholy desire as He is to ignite holy fire to be used for His redemptive ends.
“O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let that grace now, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart; O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above.” ~Robert Robinson (1758)
Lord, grant discernment for Your holy fire, and set my heart aflame with an acceptable offering of praise and glory.
As the rain and snow 