Fire.

     For our God is a consuming fire
                                                           Hebrews 12:29(NIV)

     As I was staring into the fire this morning, watching a new log start to burn, I was struck with the fact that God desires to consume us. I thought about the many logs that had been in that fire already this morning, they were gone, and the ones in there now were slowly being consumed.
     The Bible states in Hebrews 12, that God is a consuming fire. He desires to purify, and refine us. Before salvation we all are filled with impurity. Our lives were lived in rebellion to God, and the fruit of that rebellion was seen in the sinful acts that we commited. Christ came to cleanse our hearts and lives. He not only forgives, but changes our lives from sinful, to holy. Our hearts are brought into loving submission to Him, His love is shed abroad in our hearts, we now live for Him, and the fruits of righteousness are evident in our lives.
     Just as those logs burned up in the fire, so our lives burn up in the presence of the Holy God. Whatever is not pleasing to Him, He will purge out. Everything of self must go. Things that we never thought were wrong, or displeasing to God will go. God desires a life that is a true reflection of Christ our savior. As we remain in His presence, and yield to His work in our lives, we will come forth as pure vessels for His glory.
     I love the closing lines to the hymn "Have Thine Own Way" It goes "fill with thy Spirit till all shall see Christ only always living in me." We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit, submitted to His work in our lives, no agenda of our own, only that Christ would live through each of us.