Standing Outside the FIre

“Life is not tried, it is merely survived If you're standing outside the fire”
-Garth Brooks

I love the Bible and like Country Music! And if you are anything like me you think about the spiritual implications of Country Music!

I hear these lyrics by Garth Brooks every now and then and it always makes me think of my walk with God.

This chorus reminds me of the truth that walking with God is not always easy. But when we see him the most glorified is when are going through the hardest things. And this scripture comes to mind: 1 Peter 1:6-7 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Fire hurts! It burns and its hott! Hotter than John dressed like a cowboy! But look what its does! It shows you the genuineness of your faith! And it may be found to result in the praise and glory and honor and at the revelation of Jesus Christ. That’s something to get fired up about! Truly life is not tried its merely survived standing out side the fire.

But fire hurts…it also takes faith to jump in it. So we tend to avoid it. Taking the risk of going through the fire scares us. We are afraid we are going to get burned! So we tend to play it safe. It kinda makes sense too. Who wants to get burned? But is that the way you want to live your life? Afraid of the heat? When you see Jesus do want to hear: “ Adequate job, fair and mediocre servant. You played it safe.” I don’t think so. We only get one shot at this and I do not want to get by with a C because I stood outside the fire to save myself some burning.

But when life gets tough what do we do? We often run but then we miss out on opportunity to glorify God. But if we endure we have a much greater reward. Speaking of Fire lets go to our old friends in the Veggie tales. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, talk about being thrown into the fire!(Dan 3) Well we know the story. They were thrown into Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace for refusing to worship the Golden Image. But what happened? They were not consumed! Not only that they had an encounter with God in the furnace! And God was glorified in a pagan nation!

Guess what? Shadrach, Meshach and Abedengo are not the only ones who get to experience God in the fire. In my own life I know the fire has often been a meeting place with God. That’s where we experience his glory the most and take him for granted the least. Then all who around you seeing how you endure the fire will also like Nebuchadnezzar also realize it was the hand of your God that brought you through! And just like Shadrach, Meshach and Abedengo we also will not be consumed by the flames of life when we have our faith in the God who will deliver us. Isaiah 43:2,3 confirms this :When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God,the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

So are you ready to see God glorified in a new way in your life? Fight the fear of flames with Faith and turn up the heat! When if comes to God don’t sell yourself short and be left out in the cold.

Garth Brooks was right when he said:
“Life is not tried, it is merely survived If you're standing outside the fire”