Ready:
“Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned? Can a man walk on burning coals without scorching his feet?” – Proverbs 6:27-28
Set:
Our verses for today pose some pretty outrageous questions. Imagine seeing with your own two eyes a man embracing fire close to his chest. How absurd would that be to actually do that? Or what about a man walking on burning coals with no shoes on? Clearly the point here is that it’d be unwise, painful and dangerous to do these things. In context, the author of this proverb is speaking about the sin of adultery but the idea applies to any sin in our lives. Playing with any sin is like playing with fire; it is dangerous, and you cannot predict the damage it will cause or how far it will spread.
Think about athletes who take performance enhancing drugs to gain an edge or those who take part in sports betting. Both can cause widespread damage in an instant – physical damage to the body and emotional/mental damage, too. On the surface they seem like something that nobody would know about, but fire is visible; it’s not something you can hide. It’s also easy to think, “Well it’s just a heart issue, no one will know.” But Proverbs 4:23 tells us to guard our heart above all else, because it’s the source of life. That means if it's a heart issue, it will become a life issue. Fire always spreads.
Playing with sin or even just a bad habit (like bad mouthing a fellow player or coach) is like playing with fire. The more you embrace it, the deeper it burns away at you. There is no way to embrace something dangerous/harmful/ungodly and not be harmed by it. Because fire is like sin, it can get out of control very quickly.
Think for a moment: what are you embracing that has the potential to harm your body, mind or soul? Is it a bad habit that you’ve allowed to get away from you? Is it a pet sin that you’re coddling instead of surrendering at the feet of Jesus? Will you choose to receive this warning from the God who loves you and cares greatly for your life and soul?
Go:
What would it look like for you to truly embrace the love of the Father instead of your sin or favorite habit?
The best way to put out a fire is to snuff its oxygen supply. Where in your life are you giving oxygen to a fire that needs to be put out?
Workout:
Overtime:
“Dear Heavenly Father, would you open my eyes to see the sin in my life as You see it? Allow it to be so clear that I can’t help but to run from it. Instead of embracing the sin that allures me, please help me to see and embrace the true gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus my Lord. In your name, amen.”