Thursday, May 22nd, 2025
The other day I was listening to a worship song and there was a line that the singer kept repeating, “Abide in the vine, abide in the vine.” Every time he said it I kept hearing, “Abide in the fire, abide in the fire.” I don’t know about you, but lately I feel like I have been abiding in the fire. It’s been this new and interesting territory of feeling increased resistance from the enemy, but also having my hands trained for war. I have been praying scriptures and declaring promises from God out loud like never before. I have come to this realization that walking with God isn’t going to be problem-free and in fact my commitment to God has essentially put a target on my back for the enemy, hence the connection with “abide in the fire.”
Let’s look at some scriptural references to fire. In Exodus 13, God led the Israelites away from Egypt using a pillar of fire by night. In Deuteronomy 4:24 God is called an all-consuming fire. In Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had to abide the literal fire and they survived to tell about it because of the 4th Man in the fire. Luke 3:16 says that Jesus baptizes us with the Holy Ghost and fire. Let’s read all of 1 Corinthians 3:13-15:
13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
This is it. Fire is destructive. But in this case, it can only destroy those things that weren’t meant to endure. This fire is purifying us to make us fit for the Master’s use. This fire is revealing what in this life has value and what can fall to the wayside. This fire reveals the loving and gracious heart of our Father. This fire shows us that trusting in anything but God is a dead-end road.
Final Thoughts…
Abide in Webster’s 1828 Dictionary means to wait for, to be prepared for, to ensure or sustain, or to bear patiently. Usually fire isn’t something we want to endure or have to be prepared for, but in order to burn off impurities or any rubbish that is keeping us from soaring with our Father, we must be willing to abide in the fire. It’s not a fire unto death; it’s the fire that births life. It’s the fire that fuels passion and purpose. It’s the fire that paves the way to God’s best for each of us. There has never been a better time to abide in the fire.