Consumed
There are materials that burn really well and others that don’t burn so well. One is called combustible and the other noncombustible. When I burn propane gas, I don’t think so much about consuming something. When I burn wood and I have ashes left over, I think about what was. For example I had a wooden porch chair that had spent lots of years out by the fire pit until one evening it broke. It was of no use to me as a broken chair, so I burned it up and it made a nice fire to warm up to.
The Lord uses fire to destroy and test. He speaks of how fire can cleanse and consume. He lets the people of Israel know through Ezekiel that he’s about to destroy them for their disobedience. Check this out…
The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: 2 “Human, is the wood of the vine better than the wood of any tree in the forest? 3 Can wood be taken from the vine to make anything? Can you use it to make a peg on which to hang something? 4 If the vine is thrown into the fire for fuel, and the fire burns up both ends and starts to burn the middle, is it useful for anything? 5 When the vine was whole, it couldn’t be made into anything. When the fire has burned it completely, it certainly cannot be made into anything.” (Ezekiel 15:1-5 NCV)I guess at the end of the day, I want to be considered a consumable servant of the Lord. I want my heart to be combustible for His glory and honor. I don’t want to be destroyed by fire, because of my disobedience. I want to be consumed by Him out of obedience. In the process of my being consumed for Him and by Him, I can maybe help others to see Him and know Him. I’m willing to give up anything in this life, because He’s promised me eternal life!
Pressing On! Dwayne