I had a thought this morning that floored me with its stunning incongruity. It was simply this: God has invited me to warm myself at the fire of his holiness. God's holiness is the expression of all that makes God good - all that makes him "other" than anything that is different from and less than he is. His holiness is the perfect expression of his perfection - and it is mainly symbolized in the Bible as light, smoke, and fire. God appeared to Moses as a fire in a bush. After Israel was delivered from Egypt, God led them through the wilderness as a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of smoke by day. And then - when they had arrived at Mt. Sinai, the Bible says: Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. This is not a warm and inviting image. This is not a crackling, romantic fire in your fireplace. This ...
A man made of mud learning to live as an image bearer of God