Ashes
Everyone has at one time built or at least spent time beside a campfire. Either a family outing; a scout, hunting or fishing trip; maybe at a camp. Some people today build a fire in a pit in their back yard. Remember the feeling as you stood close by, warming your hands or your backside sipping your favorite warm beverage? I liked the hot chocolate. There were marshmallows on a stick or coat hanger—and if you were really fortunate—Samores!! Yea!!! Most times you stayed till the fire started dying, extending the evening with great conversation or rehashing old memories.
Usually it was then off to bed in a cabin, tent or your own home. Content, peaceful and warm! Just climbing under the covers for a night of rest. One of the great pleasures of life! Good memories, huh? So, you wake up and if you happen to revisit the fire site, what would you find? Yes, ashes! The wood and logs are all burned up. Bummer! So, what do you have to do to start another fire? Right, put more kindling and firewood on. Thanks for the memory lane trip, Bill, but where are you headed with this?
Grace
As a follower of Christ, we walk in and by grace. Yesterday’s fire is today’s ashes. And yesterday’s grace is all used up! Today, we must rise, spend time rebuilding the fire of grace in our lives. The spiritual energy necessary for today comes by spending time in prayer, the word—both communing with God through His Spirit in the name of Jesus. “Seek first thing the kingdom of God (daily) and all we need (for today) will be given to us. Don’t trouble yourself with tomorrow, today has all the issues you can handle” (Mt. 6.33,34 Bill’s translation). And don’t rely on yesterday’s provisions! I submit they are all used up.
The best example of daily dependence on God is the Israelites’ journey through the desert for forty years. Manna for the day, and double on the weekends was all they needed. And yesterday’s, if carried over, stunk to high heaven! Are you relying on past grace or are you being regenerated daily at the foot of the cross? Scripture teaches us clearly that we are to live fully and completely one day at a time, (take up your cross daily) totally dependent on His dispensed grace. It’s the firewood for our soul! What does your campfire look like each day?
