“John answered, saying to all, ‘I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.’” Luke 3:16

Holy Fire!

Wildfires! This seems to be the focus of the news for those of us who live in the western part of the states. Every day we hear of new and bigger fires raging out of control as they bring death and destruction, consuming everything in their path. It seems there is no stopping them. And if that isn’t enough, we are in a severe drought—water is at an all-time low which has left these parts extremely parched, vulnerable to the smallest spark. Winds increase the rate of spread and drive the direction of these fires. We live in a constant state of readiness, knowing we may need to evacuate at any time.

No doubt we need rain and plenty of it. Who isn’t praying for the Lord to send us His rain to quench and renew our thirsty land?

Not long ago, we were singing a song in church asking God to send His fire. Lord, let Your fire fall down! Did we have any idea what that would really look like if He did send His fire? I wonder.

I also wonder if there is a spiritual parallel here as I considered exactly what fire does. It cleanses and purifies; it separates the gold from the dross. Is God answering those prayers by sending us these “fires of tribulation and lawlessness” in order to cleanse and purify His church? Is He using these troubling and destructive times to separate the goats from the sheep? Is He getting ready to rain down the power of His Holy Spirit for another great revival before He returns?

“’Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD’” (Amos 8:11). This seems to be what has happened to us here in our present day. We, as a nation, have pushed God out in order to do what seems right in our own eyes.

No one can know His timing or just what He is doing, but we can be assured that He is sovereign and is in control of all that is happening. We can trust Him to accomplish His perfect will even in the midst of what to us is utter chaos.

Lord, You said, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Purify us and make us Your holy ambassadors. We desperately need You to pour down Your Living Water on us! Amen.