There are those who are walking through the fire of affliction and testing this season, but the promise of The Lord is that His presence is IN the fire.
“There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up…God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:2-5)
Do not fear the fire for it is there where the Lords presence is the strongest. What the enemy is doing to cause fear in your hearts, The Lord wants to use as FUEL for the fire of His presence to be established in your heart. God is calling out to you in the midst of the fire, calling you higher into His purposes and plans for you. Though you cannot see it yet, this fire will set you on a course of deeper intimacy, deeper revelation and deeper confidence in the ways and purposes of God.
Just as Moses was told to take off his sandals on the holy ground, so The Lord is asking you to shed the familiar ways in which you have walked before. This is new territory you are entering and it will require new shoes of faith and perspective. Just as Moses realized the fire did not consume this bush, so The Lord is saying that the fire of affliction and trial you face right now will NOT CONSUME YOU. It has divine boundaries in place! It cannot go beyond the God-ordained perimeters of His grace and mercy.
This Christmas season is not about the presents, but the Presence!
I’ve had 4 dreams this year that have pointed to Christmas as being a significant time this year. In 3 of them the context was that of being in trouble, even being held captive. The other one pointed to a turning point of destiny. It was the first dream back in February, however, that God revealed the FIRE and His purposes behind it.
I saw a fireplace in the home. It was Christmas time and the house caught fire. It was burning up the tree and everything around the fireplace. Yet, when people tried to put out the fire with water, it only spread more. Then I saw that there was an entire ROOM BEHIND THE FIREPLACE. It hadn’t been seen before the fire! This was where the fire was emanating from. Yet, even as the fire was spreading, I heard children playing in the bathtub, totally unaware of what was happening. I awoke from the dream in fear. I didn’t know how to put out the fire…
Though I woke up with fear, the Lord was challenging me to evaluate the fear. The fire was not harming anyone – the kids were in the bathtub playing! It was only burning up a little Christmas tree and the “stuff” around the fireplace – temporal things. I thought it was my job to put the fire out. That was a problem, because it only got worse. (Hmmmmm!) Though the fire of the enemy is meant to bring destruction and doubt, the fire of God is redemptive. The fire of His presence BURNS UP ALL HIS ENEMIES! “Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes…In his wrath the LORD will swallow them up, and his fire will consume them.” (Psalm 21:8-9)
One of the biggest enemies of God is FEAR. Fear immobilizes us and causes us to miss the heart of God. He wants to free us from this bondage and exercise overcoming faith that will BURN UP all those doubts and lingering questions that are contrary to His heart and character of Love. Let the fiery trials you are going through serve to burn up those enemies in your life so you can walk in a new place of victory. Let the fire of His presence burn in your heart and allow the trials to fan that flame into an unwavering trust in God.
He wants us to see beyond the immediate fire, beyond the burning bush, and SEE HIM. He is the God of the fire and His presence is mighty to save. Just like the children in the bathtub, so The Lord would have us exercise a child-like faith and not give in to panic or fear. He has redemptive purposes as we trust in Him AND WORSHIP. God told Moses to take off his sandals and worship Him in this Holy Place of His Presence. Worship caused Moses to see this fire from a heavenly perspective and put him in position to hear God speak to him. His obedience enabled him to receive the revelations needed to move forward.
God is calling many closer to Himself this season. He is drawing families together. He is calling hearts home. He is getting our attention in order to take us deeper into relationship with Him and a greater manifestation of His presence in our lives. For some, you may be walking through a fire right now, but the God of the Fire is working behind the scenes calling out to you, achieving a greater purpose. Trust Him in it.
Worship Him because you are standing on Holy Ground. He is about to lead you to a place of victory and overcoming faith. Trust Him and follow His instructions. Don’t worry about putting out the fires – He’s using them to bring you through the desert and into a place of abundance.
“You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. (Psalm 66:12)