Proverbs 4:18 ‘But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day.’
–DAILY READING • 1 Corinthians 1:1-17; 1 Kings 12:32-13:34; Joel 1
In 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the Olympic torch relay race for the following year’s Winter Olympics in Sochi. As part of the ceremony, he passed the Olympic torch to a former Soviet swimming champion to begin the longest ever Olympic torch relay race that would last 123 days and pass through 130 cities in all 83 of Russia’s regions; the route was more than 65000 kilometres long.
However, few minutes after, the former Soviet swimming champion, began to run with the Olympic torch, the flames went out. A strong wind had blown it out. A fast acting guard saved the day by lighting it back immediately with his cigarette lighter. But to the Olympic officials the flame from the lighter was not acceptable, because the whole point of the epic relay race was to transport the original flame ignited in Olympia through the many routes that eventually ends with the lighting of the cauldron in the Olympic stadium of the host country. Officials doused the flame ignited by the cigarette lighter and replaced the fire with one from a back-up torch they usually carried with them.
Leviticus 6:12 ‘And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out:’
In the race of life, we need to guard our fire from going out. The journey of life can take us through different roads, some good, some not so pleasant. But whichever road we take, we must keep our fire burning.
Proverbs 4:18 says ‘But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day.’
When a man is on fire, he is like a city set on an hill that cannot be hidden. Apostle Paul tells us that as sons of God we are to shine like stars in a dark world.
Gross moral darkness covers the earth and sin abounds everywhere, but through the fire in us, men will be attracted to God. This is the fire we must protect with all diligence. However, where no wood is, there, the fire goes out. Therefore, we must Keep our fire burning, through daily fellowship with God’s Word. Just like the disciples on the Road to Emmaus in Luke 24, when you open up your heart to God, His Words will burn like fire in your soul. This is why we must maintain daily fellowship with Christ through His Word. We are in a personal race. And we are not only to run this race but to finish it with our torch still burning brightly. There were those in the Bible who started their race with their fire burning bright, but ended the race with their fire put out. Typical examples are Samson and King Solomon. They started strong, but didn’t stay strong. When Solomon was young, he “loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father”. God was pleased with him. (1 Kings 3:3-5). However it is sad to note what 1 Kings 11:6 says about the Solomon later in his life, “Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord” . Likewise Samson too.
Therefore as we run the race let us keep our eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. As long as we keep looking to Him through daily fellowship in the Word, He will enable us to keep our fire burning.
PRAYER: Lord, Your Word is unchanging, and true. Please grant me a fresh appetite for Your Word, so that my fire will keep burning brighter and brighter. Indeed by Your grace my fire shall never go out in Jesus Name.
quote
Reading The Bible gives you over view, Studying it takes you to depths. – WORDBITE 222.