Through The Fire

Jason Crabb has a song out that he and his family sing and I think it is called, “Through The Fire Again.”  I heard a different song by Jason this morning and I was reminded of the ‘fire song’ which reminded me of how many times a believer seems to go through the fire, so to speak.

I think far too often people get the wrong impression thinking that when they become a believer their problems are all over.  I believe many are disillusioned when they are bombarded with temptations or problems they didn’t expect.  Many times people aren’t aware of the cost associated with following Jesus.  Your salvation doesn’t cost you anything because the Lord Jesus paid the ultimate penalty and suffered greatly for our redemption; Jesus took our cross, our shame and our sins upon Himself.  But it will definitely cost you something to get all the way to the finish line.

Jesus took our literal cross but symbolically we have a cross to bear, remember when Jesus spoke this to the crowds in His day in Luke 14:27, “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me cannot be my disciple.”  Jesus and the people of that day knew about crosses seeing many people impelled on them over the years, but Jesus knew first hand experiencing one Himself.  

But think of the things that Jesus went through in the 33½ years of His ministry.  I haven’t thought of this before but it was like Jesus symbolically carried a cross through His whole ministry.  And how many times did He go through the fire, so to speak?  How many times was He rejected?  I believe every rejection was pain to Him because He loved the ones who rejected Him.  The Word says in John 1:11, “He came unto His own and His own received Him not.”  One time His people became so mad at Him they tried to throw Him over a cliff.

Remember when Jesus came out of the water after being baptized and He heard His Father’s voice?  That had to be like a mountaintop experience, then He was led into the desert to be tempted of the devil.  To me that was like victory hearing His Father say that He was well pleased with Him, then it seemed like He was going through the fire again, fasting 40 days and nights, then being tested, or tempted, of the evil one.

Then there was the time when Peter rebuked Jesus and another time when Peter denied Jesus.  Think about how Jesus must have felt, not to mention Judas, one of the twelve, who betrayed Him for money.  All Jesus did was good works healing people, raising the dead, preaching the gospel, casting out demons, and setting people free.  It was like He went from the mountaintop to the fire and back again; it was also like carrying a cross.  

If we claim to be His disciples, should we not follow His example and take up our cross daily and follow Him?  If we do, we will see times of victory and other times it will seem like we are going through the fire, but just like the three Hebrew men went through the fire with the fourth man going through the fire with them; that fourth man will be with us also.  I believe that fourth man was Jesus and He will never leave us or forsake us, praise the Lord!  So don’t be shocked at the cost, just be excited because of the victory and never give up!  God bless you and have a great day.  And don’t forget to praise and thank the Lord!!