A devotional moment by Chris Garcia
Hebrews 12:29 NKJV: For our God is a consuming fire.
The scripture tells us in the book of Hebrews chapter 12 verse 29, that our God is a consuming fire. When we see the Lord appear to Moses in Exodus, the appearance of God is like a fiery presence within the bush. Our God is a consuming fire. What does fire do? Fire used in the times of ancient Israel, provided many things. Fire provided light. Scripture also tells us that God is light. The Bible also says that fire actually purifies. The word “fire” comes from the Greek word “pyros” and that's where we get the word purity from. Fire purifies. When the ancient Israelites would go into the smoldering process where they would take gold and precious metals, they would put it under the fire and the fire would purge it. Refinement comes through fire. So, we see that one aspect of fire is purity. Purification, light and consumption. What does that mean? Consumption: when something is consumed, it eats. There's something about God's presence where scripture says our God is a consuming fire, yet at the same time in Exodus, in the third chapter, the fire of God comes to the burning bush, but the bush is not consumed. God is such a powerful fire that He can consume and sometimes He is gentle enough where there is no consumption. His fire is divine. It's not like earthly fire. Exodus shows us that the fire of God is not like a typical natural fire.
Isaiah in the sixth chapter, verse one, it says, “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple”. Let's give some context here. Isaiah was writing during the time of King Uzziah and King Uzziah, towards the end of his life, had a problem. The problem was pride and idolatry, and until that King was removed, Isaiah couldn't see the fullness of the revelation of God at that time. Idolatry and pride always hinder you from seeing the fullness of God in your life. “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting on a throne high and lifted up you”, see, you're only going to see two things lifted up. It's either you're going to lift yourself up or you're going to lift the Lord up. When Uzziah was moved out of the way, Isaiah properly saw the Lord as high and lifted up and the train of His robe filled the temple. What Temple? He's speaking of the Holy place. The Tabernacle. The Temple where the priest would go in and offer intercession and prayer. This wasn't just an earthly temple. It was a spiritual temple in heaven. Above it stood the seraphim. Seraphim is the Hebrew word “seraph”. It means “burning blazing one. It can also mean serpent. Believe it or not, these brazen fiery beings each had six wings. “Two which covered his face, two covered his feet and with two he flew. One cried out to another saying “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory! And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.” What smoke? Where is this smoke coming from? A fire. Verse five, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” There is something about a divine revelation of the presence of God in your life that realizes who you truly are in your flesh. It's not a condemning thing. It's a conviction thing. The closer you get to God the more you see your own faults. The more you see your own defects. The more you see His goodness. The more you see how much you truly need Him.
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