Holy Fire

"The angel of the LORD appeared to him

in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush;

and he looked, and behold,

the bush was burning with fire,

yet the bush was not consumed." 

Exodus 3:2

The angel of the LORD, the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, He has always been, always is, and always will be. It was God who called Moses. Moses had already given up, he tried in his own strength to be his people's deliverer. When he failed he ran and thought he had began a new life. What Moses did not yet know was that "...the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." (Romans 11:29).

It was now time for Moses' part in history, or His story, to be put into action. What we see in these first few verses of Exodus 3 is evidence once again that it is God who seeks us. Moses did not flee out into the wilderness to seek God. God however did come to the wilderness to seek Moses.

In Romans 3:11 we read an excerpt from Psalm 14 that declares that there is none who seeks for God. Jesus tells us in John 6:65 "...no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father." Jesus also declares in John 15:16 "You did not choose Me but I chose you..."

Oh precious one, if you are seeking God know that it is because He has already sought you. Know that you have been chosen, appointed by Him. God had appointed Moses to bring Israel out of Egypt, and this appointment Moses would keep.

God gets Moses' attention through a burning bush. This bush, burning yet not being consumed by the fire, is a picture of God's people. Both the nation of Israel and those who are His according to the promise, according to Christ. Many nations throughout time have tried to consume and destroy Israel, but they have not succeeded.

You see Hebrews 12:29 declares that "our God is a consuming fire." In Isaiah 33:14 we read the questions "...Who among us can live with the consuming fire? Who among us can live with continual burning?"

Fire is an interesting thing. It destroys what is worthless, but it refines precious things. In 1 Corin 3:13 we read that our work will be made evident and the truth of our deeds will be revealed with fire. The fire will test the quality of our works, in the fire do our works burn up, do they go up in smoke, or do they remain as gold and silver and precious jewels?

Friend, this fire does not test our works until it has first tested us. Isaiah 48:10 states "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction." God tests us with His holy fire.

If we have been redeemed, called by His name, then we are precious in His sight, honored and loved by Him. If you are His, when you pass through the fire, like this bush that Moses beheld, you will not be consumed. You will not be scorched and the flame will not burn you (Isaiah 43:1-7).

Oh Father,

You are holy and You require me to be holy. This is what I can know, that when I am in the midst of the furnace of affliction, it is for my holiness. You are refining me, cleaning out the dead works, and preparing me to bear good fruit. My God, I can trust that You have not left me alone. When Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego where thrown into the furnace, they were not consumed. They were not left alone. When they exited they did not even have the smell of smoke on their clothes. Oh Father, they trusted in You whole heartedly. This is my desire, to trust You without wavering. To never curse You when the fire is surrounding me. To know to the very depths of my soul that You are in control and the outcome will always be Your glory shining in and through me.

My Jesus it is in Your name that I pray,

Amen