Short and Sweet: Forged by Fire by Mary Kane

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Nourishment and refreshment for the soul.

29 “Is not My word like a fire?” says the LORD

“And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?
Jeremiah 23:29
In Jeremiah 23:29, God compares His word to two things: fire and a hammer.
Usually when I hear the word fire, I think of destruction. In the Bible, fire is used for refining precious metals, and for consuming useless things such as hay, straw and stubble. Fire is also indicative of the Presence of God. From fiery Mount Sinai, to  the burning bush,  to the pillar of fire, to the tongues of fire at Pentecost, where there is fire, there is God.
Hammers on the other hand, mean construction. Interestingly, pattiysh, the Hebrew word for hammer, refers to a forge hammer; the type of hammer a blacksmith uses to pound, strengthen and shape metal after it has been heated in … fire.
God uses both of these tools to mature our faith. Destruction and construction, forge and fire, work hand in hand. With the fire of His Word, God clears our lives of hay, straw, and stubble so He  can build a sure foundation. Precept and doctrines are then hammered down, board by board, as we study and apply the truth of God’s word.  God continues to refine and build until we become His  church, living temples filled with the glory of God.
Action Points:
  1. Identify the hay, straw, and stubble in your life.
  2. What can you do to cooperate with the firing process?
  3. What is God building in your life?
  4. How can you aid God in the building process?

Sometimes God must tear down before He can build up.

Life is sweet!

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For more information on God’s refining fire, please click on the link below.

Refining Fire Bible Verses



Short and Sweet: Come and Rest by Mary Kane

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Refreshment and nourishment for your soul!

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

If you are tired and weary, Jesus is calling you to come. In the Greek, come is an interjection, which means we must take immediate action. It is not God’s will for us to live in chaos and turmoil. He is the God of Peace. Our health and our relationship with God will suffer if we are torn apart by stress.

Weary refers to those who are exhausted from physical labor or grief. Heavy burdens, (in Greek: phortizo) means a load, a load with a consciousness of sin.

Carrying our sin is a heavy load … one which we cannot carry. Knowing our weakness, Jesus calls us to come to Him, permanently lay down our sin at the foot of the cross, and rest in Him.

Our daily responsibilities can become a burden if we do not take time each day in God’s Presence to regain strength and courage to carry on. I notice my responsibilities become burdens when I start living in the future; trying to figure out how I will manage this present situation for the next 2 weeks, 6 months, or 10 years. The questions roll through my mind; How can I do this another day? Where will the money come from for tomorrow? Living in the future drains my energy and causes me to squander God’s provision for the present day.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, take time to rest in God’s presence. Open His word and find healing for your soul. Ask Him to provide for you. Thank Him for how He is helping you. Rest in Him.

 Action Step:

  1. Get a note card and list the situation that is causing you stress.
  2. Look up a scripture that applies to your situation and write it down on the card.
  3. Pray the scripture out loud into your situation throughout the day.
  4. Thank God for how He is already working (even if you can’t see it yet).


Take 5! Words of Life by Mary Kane

scrabbleWords are everywhere … happy words … angry words … loving words … hurtful words. Billboards, walls, books, newspapers, magazines, even our hearts are full of words. The words we store in our hearts affect our attitude, our character, and our destiny. Let’s fill our hearts with words of life. To learn more about how words of life affect our lives, please click on the link.

Take 5! Words of Life

Image courtesy of “Scrabble English Alphabet” by Keerati at FreeDigitalPhotos.net


Take 5! Under Construction by Mary Kane

ID-10093142Hammers, nails and power-tools are necessary for building projects, but don’t forget building materials! Quality materials will ensure that a building will stand the test of time. As God’s construction workers we also must choose quality materials–but what shall we build with? To do the Bible Study, Under Construction, please click on the link.

 

Image courtesy of adamr / FreeDigitalPhotos.net