Bible ABCs - Fires the Heart

When my siblings and I were younger, our family had those big records that today's generation would scoff at; however, we got hours of enjoyment and 'soothe-ment' out of them.  Whenever we were sick, our Dad would play the music for us, softly, as we lay ill.  Eventually, he recorded them onto reel to reel tape so the soothing strains could work their wonders for hours.  

Besides a lot of the pianist Rudy Atwood which I still croon over today when I get the chance, one of those records was of a Korean choir singing songs of praise.  It always tickled my fancy because of their accented English.  One of the songs I can still hear in my head was, "It only takes a spark to get a fire going..."

Many know this reality of life, a small spark ignites big things both positively and negatively.  Here of course, we are talking about God's Word.  As we read and obey it, it can fire up our hearts with fervor for God, Jesus, and for following His ways.  Of great import is that it can fire up our hearts to faithful testimony.

Just glancing at the first couple of chapters of the book of Jeremiah you see the clause, "The word of the LORD came to him, or me" several times.  Then there was action taken.  Repeatedly, the prophet Jeremiah was sent on very unenviable tasks by God.  Those tasks often got him into hot soup with the king.  Yet, Jeremiah remained faithful through thick and thin to the end.

The prophet Isaiah was another of such caliber.  I think he even may have had it worse, from my human standpoint of thinking, than Jeremiah did.  He had to, among other things, lie naked upon the ground for more than a year and even cook his own food from such an awkward position.  How overwhelmingly humiliating that must have been.  This gave Israel a visual sign of the times of God's coming condemnation upon them for their wayward ways.  Through it all Isaiah remained faithful, obeying God's Word, will and ways for him.  He was fulfilling God's purpose.

Hop, skip and jump over to the New Testament.  It was that lull, not so much of a peaceful one, but one where it gets really quiet after a major tragic happening that leaves everyone so, speechless.  No one really knows what to do or say.  Maybe some people will say or do some out of character thing out of reaction.  When Jesus died, the "sheep" felt all encompassingly bereft.  All of that for nothing?

They had not computed in the resurrection.

There were the two on the way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-33).  Defeated, almost aimless in action. It brings tears to my eyes to think of the Lord Jesus, with His full heart of love and compassion, meeting them along the road.  Truly, going to Him gives rest, but here He goes to them!   He spoke with them and when He also graciously went in to dine with them, they realized, ever so suddenly, Who He was, as their eyes were opened through His breaking of bread with them.

This galvanized them to get up and go back, "at once" to Jerusalem.  

We do not know, as Scripture doesn't state, if they continued to be faithful to the Lord all the rest of their days or not.  They had asked each other,

"Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us" (Luke 24:32 NIV)?

 I'd like to think that they did; that they had been forever "sparked" into burning faithful followers. 

The apostle Peter's preaching of the good news, just after Pentecost, and the Holy Spirit's indwelling, electrified the hearers so much to their condition; they needed repentance...

"...the people heard...they were cut to the heart..."  They asked Peter, "...what shall we do" (Acts 2:1-41, esp vs. 37 NIV)?

Peter told them they needed to repent and be baptized, looking to Jesus for the forgiveness of sins.

They heard God's Words, through Peter, and obeyed them.  There were about 3000 that were added to the number of Jesus followers that day!  What a catch of "fish" Peter had had; enough to sink many smallish ships!   

We do know that Peter was faithful to the end.  Again, we hope that all those 3000 and more were too.

Another faithful stalwart was the apostle Paul.  From the moment of his conversion on the road to Damascus, he was spurred on to many years of faithful testimony to his Savior, Jesus Christ (Acts 9:1-31).   He did not have it easy after that either:  hounded and persecuted; beaten, stoned and left for dead.  He got up, and continued on and on.

The verse from Jeremiah 23:29 illustrates the phenomenal changes that enter a person's life from encounters with Jesus, God and His Word.  Look at what he wrote,

"Is not my word like fire," declares the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces" (NIV)?

A fire definitely changes things as alluded to earlier:  it can destroy and it can refine.  Allow the 'spark' of God's Word to kindle a fire as searing as a forge so as to burn off all the dross of your life and refine the thoughts and intents of your hearts as you obey (Hebrews 4:12).  Fire up your hearts and  be transformed into the faithful followers He needs and wants, giving testimony to His Name.  Bring Him glory and honor as you burn brightly for Him all your days on earth.

                                                           ~ERC  June 2019~

Here's a lovely old Sunday School special song, God's Word is Like a Hammer arranged by Bible Truth Publishers.

Pass It On - it Only Takes a Spark (but not by the Korean's; can't find it) - Music for the Soul