I saw a picture of two fires. One was the real thing; the main focus. And the other…a distraction.
God is moving powerfully in this hour – He is blazing a trail. This has been a year of real advancement for the Kingdom of God. We’ve seen the fruit of many things finally burst into life this year—as we’ve faithfully stewarded them. His fire is blazing a fresh trail right now, marking out a pathway for us to move forward, while destroying everything standing in its way and opposing the move of God!
Yet, there is another fire in the picture. The enemy is setting a counter-fire—an artificial flame. A flame sparked by bitterness, fuelled by pride, and kept alive by idle chatter. This fire is placed to distract us—to turn our heads away from the fire of God, and to fall into the trap of feeding the wrong fire.
Feed the right fire.
Hear this – we do not need to fight this artificial fire. Simply starve it. Do not waste time, energy, and strength trying to fight this fire; there is no need to throw buckets of water at it. Just turn your back to it, withhold your breath, and deny it your attention. Then watch it dwindle down to nothing. Just as Proverbs 26:20 tells us, “Without wood, a fire goes out; without gossip, a conflict ceases”. Engaging with these flames and listening to the chatter, even with a dislike for it, is still feeding the wrong fire. It is falling into the trap of the enemy, and fueling the counterfeit flames. Starve it. Move your gaze away from it.
The key is to keep your eyes fixed on the true fire of God. Stoke that flame with worship, truth, and humility. Feed it with your everyday obedience, and let Him keep blazing a holy trail ahead of you! Stay mission focused upon the things He is asking of you, and do not allow wayward smoke to pull your attention!
Confusion in the Air
Because of this counterfeit fire, there is a thick fog of confusion in the air, much like in the days of the Tower of Babel. Back then, united in pride, people thought they were building a stairway to the heavens, but they quickly found out they weren’t! They mistook their shared arrogance for true unity, and ended up constructing mass confusion and division instead. Pride is often the cause of our issues, therefore, humility is the key to clarity.
New Clarity
But! God is quietly outpouring discernment to those willing to listen. I believe there is an outpouring of discernment bringing clarity to these situations right now. Because honestly, I don’t think most of us get caught stoking the wrong fire out of malice; it’s just that the counterfeit has gotten so good at looking like the real thing. It’s genuinely confusing out there!
And that is why God is bringing clarity today to those who want it. He’s inviting us to approach the altar with a spirit of humility and sacrifice, ready to hear what He is saying; to see the situation for what it is.
Reflection
The question for your heart today is simple: Am I really willing to receive that clarity? What if I have been stoking the wrong fire in places?
Know that this is not a word in anger or disappointment, but a word in love, ready to bring God’s people back into alignment with Him. And to see the enemy flames die out!
So, ask honestly, Which fire have I been feeding?
Make the conscious effort to feed the fire of God, and starve any counterfeit today!
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