Life’s Fiery Trials

In Idaho, wildfires can threaten our beautiful forests.Teams of Forestry personnel risk their lives every year to protect our forests from ruination. Interestingly enough, they’ve learned throughout the years that a certain amount of fire is required in the forest to maintain them.  If the undergrowth gets to mature, it becomes additional fuel so that when lightening does strike, it makes the fire more severe.

The Forest Service does prescribed burns to eliminate the undergrowth during the wet season which allows for a fire without causing a large amount of destruction.

Another reason for the prescribed burns are that some pine trees (fired climax pines) require the fire to open the cones and release the seeds into the ground.  Without the heat, new pine trees cannot be seeded and grow.

Our Lord has told us that with faith the size if a mustard seed, we would be able to move mountains.  Matthew 17:20-21 NIV

But how does our faith grow? Paul wrote to the Thessalonians their faith is growing  and that he was pleased that they persevered and had faith in all of their persecutions.

We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. 2 Thessalonians 1:2-4 NIV

As I see friends and family experience financial problems, health issues, emotional pain & loss, I find myself asking, “Why Lord?”  Could it be that like the seeds of the pine cone, through our trials seeds of faith are released into our hearts to grow and help us persevere in our race for the Lord?

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7

Breath of Heaven

May the Breath of Heaven breathe new life into our troubled world this Christmas Season.

When Sorrows Like Sea Billows Roll...

It has been 20 years last September since we lost my brother in a helicopter accident.  He was out on maneuvers, training  for a war yet to come, that would later be named Desert Storm, when his helicopter had mechanical problems and crashed.  At times it's seems like a long time ago, and at other times it seems like yesterday.  Growing up in the church, I'd probably sang, "It Is Well With My Soul" a multitude of times.  But after my brother's death, it took on a new meaning for me and has provided great comfort.  I wonder if Horatio Spafford could have known what an impact his words would have on future generations.  Through his many tragedies would come a hymn that would comfort generations to come, 

"When Sorrows like Sea Billows roll....."

Mr. Spafford's life was certainly one that was filled with hurt and loss.  A lawyer in Chicago, Mr. Spafford and his wife had a son and four daughters.  In 1871, Mr. Spafford lost his young son and later in that year, a fire wiped out many of his real estate investments, causing him to lose everything.   In 1873, he and his family decided to take a trip to Europe.  His wife and daughters headed out first with him to follow on another ship later on in the week.  The first ship carrying his wife and daughters was struck by another ship and only his wife survived.  As he made the journey to Europe to be with his wife,he came close to the spot where his daughters were lost, and he began jotting down the words that would become the hymn "It Is Well With My Soul".

King David too had a lot of hurt and sorrow in his life. In Psalms he writes:

My soul is weary with sorrow; 
strengthen me according to your word.

Psalm 119:28 

If you too are experiencing hurt and loss, my hope is that you can find strength in God's word and a peace like a river.