Stoke the Fire

by Macy Johnson

 “The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously;

it must not go out.”

(Leviticus 6:13 NIV)

 

I love sitting around a firepit or a campfire in the fall. The smell of burning wood and the mesmerizing dance of the flames relax my thoughts and escort me to another world.

We don’t burn animal sacrifices during worship anymore. Our souls are cleansed by a fire of confession and repentance. The flames are stoked with repeated sacrifices of selfish desires through prayer and continuous communion with our Savior.

 

Merriam-Webster’s definition of stoke is:

-      to poke or stir up (a fire, flames, etc.) : supply with fuel

-      to feed abundantly

-      to increase the activity, intensity, or amount of

In Revelation, Christ reminds us to dare not let the flames in our hearts die, like the Church in Laodicea did:

 

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.

I wish you were either one or the other!”

(Revelation 3:15 NIV)

 

One of my favorite movies to hate is Man on Fire with Denzel Washington. The 2004 action-thriller film is based on the 1980 novel by A. J. Quinnell. The passion of John Queasy, the lead character, is portrayed as having an obsessed fervor to go above and beyond his duty to protect a small child from her culture’s evils. I want to be ‘on fire’ for Jesus like that.

 

My sister recently reminded me we are here on this earth to help each other. When we share our faith and concerns we stir the flames in the hearts of kindred spirits, like adding super fuel to campfires.

 

I will stoke the fire in my heart and of those hearts around me, allowing flames for Christ to glow more fiercely in this dark world. I hope you will, too!