You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. (Ps. 66:12)
FIRE IS FASCINATING. It can give us light, heat, or even nourishment through cooking our food. Fires can also be devastating; as many as 369,500 homes catch fire each year according to the National Fire Protection Association. Wildfires can devastate drought-ridden areas; but they also burn off decaying matter and allow sunlight to reach the forest floor, thus allowing new growth.
Just as it can be hard to see abundance coming from an actual fire, it can be difficult to see abundance coming out of our trials. God promises to lead us through our trials and into a life of abundance. The good news is that in the kingdom of God there is always enough for everyone. Even when we are in the midst of the worst of life’s “fires”: natural disasters, sickness, job loss, divorce or even death, we know we serve a risen Christ and not even death can separate us from His love.
Another amazing thing that happens when there is a house fire is that a community comes together to support the family in need. That is what the church should be doing for all of life’s fires. We need to come together in our brokenness and remind each other that there is abundance in God, even in the fire.
Find someone who needs you to remind him or her of God’s abundance.
Sara Galyon and her husband Philip both serve in youth ministry in the north Alabama area. Her family enjoys traveling, baseball, and serving God together.
© 2018 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.
