Fire and Coals

God lives and works today. To be filled with love for him means to be filled with an invincible power and joy. How can we acquire such a love for him? And how can we keep this love burning in our hearts? The answer is in today's meditation by Basilea Schlink called Fire and Coals.

Love for Jesus is like a consuming fire. It continually needs fuel so that its flames will leap high, setting on fire everyone it encounters. First love, that is, as we read in Holy Scripture, bridal love for Jesus, is born out of forgiveness of sins.

How could we help but love such a Savior and God who took such disgrace upon himself and atoned for our sin through his crucifixion? Through Jesus all our sins are forgiven. He gives us newness of life, a life with him and for him. Today, everything depends upon this love for Jesus.

In the face of the frightening developments in the world and within Christianity, only those who are on fire with the first love for Jesus will be able to stand firm and not fall away. A natural fire is kept going by wood and coal. In this way, light and warmth are given forth, without which no one can live.

The spiritual fire, that is, the love of God which has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, will be kept burning when we make two affirmations in our life. The first, when we say yes to our sins, metaphorically speaking, when we humbly acknowledge the black coal of our daily life and don't try to deny them or excuse ourselves. And the second, when we say yes to the cross we need so much, to the sacrifice, to the burden, metaphorically speaking, to the wood of our life.

This is what we can continually bring to Jesus. Let's not keep our black sins to ourselves, but cast them into God's fire and also the commitments to the small things that are hard, because I need it. Yes, whenever we cast our small sacrifices of love into the fire, the flames of our love will leap high.

In this way, the amazing miracle takes place. Jesus not only forgives, He not only burns up our sins, but He changes our sins and our crosses into divine spiritual energy, into adoration, fire for His kingdom, love that longs to save others, powerful faith, authority and strength to bear burdens. Jesus changes our sins into gain for us and for His kingdom.

If you long for the love of Jesus to fill your life, bring Him the fuel that will keep the fire going. Whoever follows this course will become so rich, so happy, that he never again would want to choose any other way. No, never.

Jesus, Lord, to love you only, I shall live for that alone. To your heart some comfort bringing, all your suffering making known. You have been listening to a program written by Basilea Schlink of the Little Land of Canaan.

To learn more about how God lives and works today, visit us at our website www.canaan.org. If you contact us, we would be happy to send you a free inspirational booklet. If you do not have access to the web, please write to God Lives and Works Today, 9849 North 40th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85028-4099. God Bless You!