The Holy Fire of God - Leviticus 9:24

Blessed brothers and sisters in the Lord. A word inspired by Leviticus 9:24 has been burning in my spirit for the past week. It is time share this all. Let us pray.

Holy God. You sit enthroned over Your creation. I worship You for all You are. You are a righteous God, full of mercy and grace. You are powerful and yet tender with You children, showing lovingkindness and patience. Your promises are yes and amen in the covenant you made with Abraham and that all families would be blessed throughout Him. How I praise You Lord for including all of us. Your heart to make a way for us to be with You for all eternity is proven by the work of Jesus on the Cross. Praise You, Lord. Praise You in the Highest! I lift up this verse, Leviticus 9:24, today. Your fire and word consume my mind and heart. Your holy fire within me has been lit by You. I submit my mind and body to You for protection from the enemy of my soul. Hedge me into the Rock for protection as I seek Your word and understanding. Redeem my time for any other things that are before me. You are my priority. You deserve my attention. I ask for forgiveness where I have sinned and ask for the strength to forgive those who have sinned against me. Show me how to love them completely as You love me. Meet me here in Your word. Please bless this devotion. In Jesus Name I submit it to You. Amen.

The reading for today comes from Leviticus 9:24. The origin of the holy fire in the tabernacle is shared here, "and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces."

When I studied this verse last week in my daily reading through the Bible, I had to stop here. The Lord spoke to my heart that the "consuming fire" written in Hebrews 12:29 (Day 2) is this holy fire. On the altar, burnt offerings were consumed by the fire completely. Acceptable to God were these sacrifices. Now we, as Christ followers, must daily place ourselves as living sacrifices onto the altar of God, Holy and acceptable. But we are sinners. Prone to have blemishes, sins that are present. This fact requires daily washing in the Word and in prayer. Laying down our personal agendas and taking up His. Heaven's agenda is worth being consumed by. The response to His actions and faithfulness towards us is full surrender to His plan. And so, we do. I do.

I tend to be a person of action. Smart enough to get myself into trouble with my own ideas and plans even though they seem logical and good. I used to say that I have my plans, but God laughs at them. Eventually I abandon my plans to follow the Lord. When these ideas and plans are submitted to the light of Christ, some remain but most are tossed to the side into the trash heap. I have found that through this new life that I have led for decades that I must stop and ask for directions. He must be placed in His rightful place in my heart and mind. Nothing can take His place in our hearts according to Deuteronomy 4:24. His all-consuming fire must be kept burning by and through my response to Him: humbling myself before a Holy God and worshiping Him with my whole heart.

Trusting and having faith in Him through His great works and character, I can overcome other situations as His fire goes before me with my enemies in Deuteronomy 9:3. He is worthy of my praise. Consume me and burn up all the chaff, Lord. Refine me as pure gold, making me useful and precious. I am Yours.