FIRE - Part 1
“IGNITED: The Fire That Starts It All”
GOD’S FIRE ALWAYS DRAWS THOSE WHO ARE WANTING AND WILLING
1 Peter 1:6-7, 6 So be truly glad.[b] There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
We are reminded through Peter that it is not a question of if we will encounter trials, but when. Peter assures believers in his letter that it is through these trials that our faith is proved to be genuine, it is the way that God is refining us and drawing us into intimacy with Him. As our faith is tested and proven true, we bring glory and honor to Christ, and we begin to recognize how God uses these fiery trials to bring us deeper into His presence.
Psalm 34:4-7, 4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.6 In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles.7 For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.
David sought the Lord with everything he had. He was drawn to God’s fire, he wanted to know God and to be known by Him. This example of seeking and finding is one we can stand upon when we are struggling in our own desperate circumstances. If God did it for David, He will meet us in our need as well.
Acts 17:27-29, 27 “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. 28 For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your[g] own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29 And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.
Luke shares Paul’s words to the people of Athens with us. God’s purpose was for humanity to seek and to find Him because He is always there, ready to be found. We are God’s, created by Him for His purposes. This truth gives us a reason to seek God even more diligently, knowing His love is so great that He never leaves us alone.
GOD WANTS BELIEVERS TO SEEK HIM. THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE, GOD TELLS HIS PEOPLE THAT WHEN THEY SEEK HIM, THEY WILL FIND HIM. WE CAN STAND UPON THIS SAME PROMISE. GOD IS LOOKING FOR US TO BE PRESENT WITH HIM. HE DOES NOT NEED OUR PERFORMANCE OR OUR PRODUCTIVITY. BUSYNESS TAKES US FARTHER FROM GOD, IT IS THE SEASONS OF SEEKING THAT DRAW US DEEPER INTO HIS PRESENCE.
Isaiah 55:3-7, 3 “Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life.I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.4 See how I used him to display my power among the peoples. I made him a leader among the nations.5 You also will command nations you do not know, and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey,because I, the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.” 6 Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.7 Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong.Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.
The love of God that David knew and experienced is promised to us through God’s own words in the book of Isaiah. God is trustworthy, faithful and true. As believers saved by grace, we can stand firmly upon the promises of God found in Scripture and know that He is there to be found, ready to forgive – but it is up to each one of us to take the time to seek His presence.
PUTTING THIS INTO PRACTICE
When we are hungry for God, our lives will look different and will reflect that pursuit of rest in His presence, not busyness,
Read Psalm 39.
What is God speaking to you through this passage? How does it speak to you of the futility of trying to pursue productivity over presence?
Which verse or verses stuck with you today? Why? Share your reflections with your small group.
Read Psalm 66.
How does this Psalm differ from Psalm 39? How is it similar?
Can you think of a time in your life when your prayers would have sounded like the words of Psalm 66? Share with your small group at least one similarity from Psalm 66 to what you prayed during that time.
Find another passage in Scripture that carries a similar message.
In 1 Chronicles 28:8-10, David is speaking to all of Israel as he is sharing God’s plan for Solomon to build the temple. David exhorts Solomon and all the people to learn to know God intimately. This message is for us today as well.
Read 1 Chronicles 28:8-10. What are two specific things that David instructs the Solomon and the Israelites to do?
If you have spent time in the story of Solomon, you will know that he started off heeding his father’s warning, but then he got off track. Where are you today in seeking God? Are you following David’s instruction, or is it time to re-focus?
Take time to write a prayer out to God asking Him to supply what you need to finish strong, to succeed in seeking Him wholeheartedly. One of the best ways to succeed in seeking God is to do so in community with people to hold you accountable. If you are not connected to a CREW, maybe that is where God is leading you.
