Fires Raging

July 5, 2018

Every day I check a local news site to see what is going on in my country and world. Sometimes the news is encouraging but most of the time I hear news of murders and attacks and crime and natural disasters.

This morning I was reading an article about the fires that are going on in the western part of the United States. My own sister, Kellie, lives in Colorado where there are many uncontained fires. There are 60 large, active fires across the US. These fires have caused many people to lose their homes and others to be evacuated to wait hopelessly to see if their homes are next.

Yesterday was July 4^th and many fireworks celebrations were cancelled out west for fear of starting more fires in drought-stricken areas.

My sister said that this year they saw the least amount of snow since they moved to Colorado years ago. She said that they are really suffering from lack of rain. They are in a severe drought.

I would ask that you pray for these areas to be delivered from the drought and that the Lord would send rain to help fight these fires that are out of control.

Now you might be wondering why I have started this post with such depressing news like this. I have been trying to be very consistent with my scripture writing this year. I have been doing very well and this month I am writing verses that focus on God as my refuge.

Today’s passage was from Isaiah 32:1-2:

Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice. Each will be like a HIDING PLACE from the wind, a SHELTER from the storm, like STREAMS OF WATER in a dry place, like the SHADE of a great rock in a weary land.

When I read the part about the “streams of water in a dry place” God just placed the fires that are raging across the country on my mind. I was struck with how it represents what our souls are like without Christ. We are thirsty and suffering. We are seeking a cool drink. We need to be rescued. We need water. We need the living water of Christ.

When we are without Christ it is truly like we are a fire raging. We have no concern for our fellow man and we rage and vent and destroy. We have no desire to truly love others. We may say that we are a good person. That we have not committed any serious crimes. In our hearts though we are wicked. We are like a fire raging.

We need Christ. You cannot separate doing good from following Christ. It will not last. Christ needs to be the rock that we stand on. Everything we do needs to be rooted in who he is and what he did. He is the answer to the fire that rages in our souls. He is the water that will contain the fire in us and start the healing process in our lives.

It seems like our country is in a spiritual drought. Everywhere we turn it seems like all we see and hear is evil. It seems to be taking over our entire world. Righteousness seems to be on the losing end of so many battles. The fire of evil desires is raging all over the world.

Even in the Christian community there seems to be a drought. People are not reading their Bibles and prayer seems to be a lost art. Others do not even feel the need to find other fellow Christians to meet with as anyone, anywhere, anytime can stream, download, or view any speaker they want to listen to with the push of a button.

Christianity has become too convenient. Too easy. Too much of a chore and something to just check off our to do list. We have lost the vibrancy of who we are in Christ. We have lost the excitement and joy of serving and worshipping Jesus. We are in a drought and we do not even know it.

The solution for a drought and a fire.

WATER

And lots of it.

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

John 4:13-14

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

John 7:37-38

These verses say it all.

Jesus is the water that we need to quench the fire that is raging in our souls and to get us out of the drought we are in.

If you find yourself ever feeling like you are stuck in your walk with the Lord, drink more of Jesus.

If you find yourself not wanting to go to church, drink more of Jesus.

If it seems like you have lost your passion for Jesus, drink more of Jesus.

The answer to most of the problems we have in life is that we are not seeking Christ enough. We are thirsty. We are dehydrated. We need IV fluids and we can only get it from Christ. He is the living water that we need. We need to drink and then drink some more.

I have always been told that when you start to feel thirsty that you are already, at that point, dehydrated and you need to drink right away.

As I sit here typing I am realizing that I am very thirsty right now. Physically and spiritually. The cure is water. Physical water and the living water of Jesus Christ.

It all comes back to Christ. He is the answer to all the problems we have in life. We need to seek him out. We need to pray to him. We need to read the Bible. We need to seek out others who are following him and fellowship with them. We need to sing and worship Jesus. We need to read about him. We need to thank him. We just need more of him.

Do I seek after him like I should?

Do I desire him like a drought-stricken land seeks water?

Do I crave him like a fire torn landscape needs water for rescue and restoration?

As I reflect on the fires that literally raging out west I am reminded that I need to seek out Christ more and more. In the dry places of my life I want there to be living streams of water that can only come from Christ. He is the rescue and answer.