Lord, Keep My Fire Burning

Some days I get so mentally and physically exhausted, I could just cry. While the day may hold many things to be thankful for, I get weary and find that the only way I can truly rejuvenate is to be alone in peace and quiet. Traditionally when I take these alone times, I have found myself feeling guilty or selfish for needing this time to just let my mind rest, but God showed me something this week which struck my heart.

God instructed the Israelites to keep the fire burning continuously. The altar fire was holy fire ignited by the presence of God. This sacred fire was never to be extinguished. “The fire on the altar is to be kept burning on it ... [The] fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out” (Leviticus 6:12–13).

After reading this, I thought, “How were the people able to keep the fire going continuously?” Then I read Numbers 4:13 where God instructed the Israelites to remove just the ashes from the altar and cover them safely with a purple cloth. With this thought, God was not concerned with the fact that there was an actual flame burning, but that there would be hot coals from which the fire could be ignited later in time.

If fire could be compared to the fire of my heart, then this lesson gave me great comfort. It is only natural for a flame to grow high and low. The purple covering mentioned in Numbers 4:13 could be compared to His holy presence as protector of the fire (or our heart). God is not so concerned that my life is a continuous raging flaming fire, but that I simply depend on him to keep the coals “simmering” with His love.

Sheryl Patry