A Consuming Fire

The word "consumed" has been rolling around in my head lately. Several events have happened that have forced me to come to the realization that we are meant to be consumed. I truly believe that not only are we meant to be consumed, we WANT to be consumed! So we start each day searching for consumption.... what am I going to DO today. What is going to consume my thoughts, energy, time, emotions. And somewhere along the way I let things consume me that I never intended or wanted to consume me at all.


I am consumed with the daily to-do list. This is one of many things that I have allowed to consume me. And I really think Satan loves it. The past two weeks I have been praying for God to help me rest in him. I catch my self driving with my shoulders tense and so focused on getting to where I need to be I can hardly take a deep breath.  I make myself sit back, rest my head on the seat rest and inhale slowly. I make myself enjoy that drive. I will not get there any more quickly if I think about it more intensely. Life if going to happen and I make myself look at the bigger picture and rest. I know it sounds so funny, but I was so consumed with my own thoughts and what I needed to do, I didn't want to hear the radio! I kept KSBJ turned off because I didn't want to sing that song, again! I didn't want anyone else putting anything else in my head to think about. This week, I turned on the radio. I turned on KSBJ... and I sang that song of worship again. And I thought about a mighty God on His throne. And I let myself be consumed with the idea of Him and His plans for this world. His plans for me in His world. And all other things fell away, and it was me and Him and his thoughts. And I was consumed and I really loved it.


This morning in my quiet time I read this:
"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful and worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. For our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:28-29


After reading this, I knew it was true. I was meant to be consumed, I want to be consumed and I will be consumed. And I can choose what to be consumed by, and every day it's my desire to choose to let God consume me. Consume my day, my thoughts, my actions, words, feelings... MY TO-DO LIST! It's going to be scary to let go of all those things that I have worked so hard to do right and keep perfect. I think that I worked really hard to do a really good job of it, but it was HARD and it left me many times feeling unhappy! Deep down I know that God can do the BEST job of it and I have a peace and will be left with time to rest.


Intimacy with God is consuming. And I love it.