Fire in the Night...

 Hi friends,

The story of the Exodus is very familiar to us as Christians. We know that God led the people of Israel out of Egypt and through the desert with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. But I wonder how often we think about the application of this story to us today? There are several verses in the Old Testament which recount these events (in Exodus where the story is told for the first time, and in Nehemiah and the Psalms, when the story is remembered by later generations). When I read through these recently the thing that struck me was the presence of fire in the night.

I was reminded that the Holy Spirit is likened to fire in the New Testament, and that we as believers in Jesus have been given the Holy Spirit to guide us in all seasons of life. This includes the darkness of the night seasons, where it is difficult to see the way ahead or to know what's coming next, where things seem more frightening or bleak. Just like God guided the people of Israel through the desert nights with a pillar of fire, he gives us his Holy Spirit to guide us as we tread darkened paths.

Fire brings two welcome ingredients to the darkness of night: warmth and light. The Holy Spirit also brings these elements into the dark seasons of our lives through his comfort (warmth) and guidance (light). When we find ourselves in dark seasons, we need to recognise the fire of the Holy Spirit which has been given to us and dwells within us, and rely on him for comfort and guidance. 

I created a background on this page using distress oxide inks (after applying three layers of gesso to protect the page). I used the new Soul on Fire set for the flame, bird and some words, along with Happy Alpha, Joyful Alpha, and All Your Heart to complete the text. I created this page in my Interleaved Bible, which I'm using as a prayer Bible, turning verses of Scripture into prayers I am praying for myself and others.

Let's be grateful for the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us with fire in the night.

Be blessed...

Amy