Extinguishing the Fire.

Scripture: Isaiah 9: 13 "But the people have not returned to him who struck them, nor have they sought the Lord Almighty."
18 "Surely wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns, it sets the forest thickets ablaze, so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke."

Observation: In this passage God is angry with Israel, they have #1 turned away from him and #2 not sought him out. (13) He declares that he will punish them for what they have done. The lines "His anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised." are repeated four times in this passage. The analogy for wickedness was used as a fire. Just as a forest fire burns everything around it, and causes complete destruction, so wickedness infests those it surrounds itself with. One tiny wicked action can start a whole process of wicked actions-all it takes is a single spark. Just as a forest fire creates a column of smoke visible to everyone nearby so our wickedness cannot be hidden for long before its exposed.

Application: Turning away from God and not seeking him out angers him and causes wickedness. Wickedness spreads like wildfire. Satan will use something as tiny as making my immortal life on earth more important than spending time seeking God as a way of separating our relationship and leading me towards wickedness.

In order to stay strong against current of pride and sin turning me away from God I need to make sure that I am seeking him out and filling myself with his living water. This means daily time spent meditating on his Word and his presence and a constant evaluation of where my priorities are.

So when the smoke wafts into my nose, I'll be able to extinguish it quickly.

Prayer: Lord help me to walk in the way of righteousness by keeping you close and seeking you first. I thank you that every right thing I do flows out of our relationship.