Deal With the Fire!
“Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out……” Proverbs 26:20
Even though technology has greatly advanced, the use of wood to make fire ought not be a strange phenomenon to many, particularly the older generation. Whether in the fireplace to heat up homes during winter or at the villages in remote places where wood is gathered to make fire for cooking, the more wood you gather together, the greater the fire burns and vice versa. The more you want the fire to burn, the more you add firewood.
So the Bible makes this clear in the book of Proverbs that this is applicable to all other areas of life. Whatever you want, the more you fuel or empower it, the more it progresses.
In life’s situations and circumstances, nothing happens in a vacuum. We must add what will fuel the fire of our commitment, love or zeal for God as much as we do for other positive areas of our lives: academic, professional, business, marriage, family. We must fuel what will move us on or grow us further in life and in purpose; we must fuel our relationships and intimacy with God lest these things gradually die off.
If there are undesirable things happening in your life, you may need to take a closer look to see what is fueling them and by the help of God, begin to remove the wood that is fueling the continuation of the fire.
Do you have a negative mindset and approach to life which often make you confess negative? You may need to change those confessions. Speak more of the word of God into your life and circumstances and you gradually see the fire of the enemy die off as the fire of the Holy Spirt burns to work on your behalf.
Are there habits whose wood you need to remove so the fire of their consequences can die off, begin to work on removing the wood and in place of them, look for the habits whose woods will do you much more good and fit for the purpose that God hasfor your life.
In 2 Samuel 2, we see the action that a particular man took during a battle to quench the fire of strife and war was of much significance. This was Abner, the captain of the army of Saul. Abner uttered a statement that made Joab call for an end to the war.
Abner called out to Joab “Do we have to go on fighting forever? Can’t you see that in the end there will be nothing but bitterness? We are your relatives. How long will it be before you order your men to stop chasing us?” “I swear by the living God” Joab answered “That if you had not spoken, my men would have kept on chasing you until tomorrow morning” Then Joab blew the trumpet as a signal for his men to stop pursing the Israelites, and so the fighting stopped. 2 Samuel 2: 26-28 GNV
The war ended because Abner spoke. He spoke gracefully enough to motivate Joab to bring an end to the pursuit. Joab even testified that if he hadn’t spoken, the war would have continued.
The word that Abner spoke was the wood that needed to be taken out for the fire of strife and war to go out!
Is there any fire raging in your life or situation? Is there anything pursing your destiny for destruction? Are there some things you need to say to bring strife to an end? Are there steps or actions you should take to quench any fire?
The word of God is forever living and powerful! We need it (not as a dialogue now but as a command) to keep the enemy’s hands off. We need it to take off the wood that Satan himself has gathered to fuel any fire of affliction. Maybe there’s a word you need to speak to bring a halt to the pursuit of the enemy in your life; or a word you need to speak to attract the help of Heaven into your situation!
Whichever way, discover what needs to be done and do it promptly!
By the grace of God, you shall not be consumed! Amen!
©Funmi Adebayo