Day 15 Fuel for the Fire

Day 15 Fuel for the Fire

5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. Isaiah 9:5 English Standard Version

This past Memorial Day, I dug through an old footlocker and found a Bronze Star from my service in Iraq, toom it to my classroom and showed it to my classes. It impressed my students. Search my closets and you will find an assortment of old uniforms, boots, and head-gear collected during twenty-plus years of service. A variety of memorabilia graces the walls and shelves of my study and classroom. Any casual observer might note that I take pride in my military service. They would be correct. I devoted twenty-seven of my sixty years to serving my county. That period of time is a source of great satisfaction. But…

God turns everything topsy-turvy. What we embrace, He rejects. What we admire, He disdains. What we honor, He holds in disrepute. All those things I’ve stored away and hung on the walls count for very little in His economy. The scraps of ribbon, treasured medals, cherished memorabilia, precious uniforms, and odd reminders will all be burned up some day, scraps of fuel for a fire. He understands the true nature of power. Christmas reminds me that He set aside all of that to come and save me. He spurned all the perks and privileges of position to be born a lowly human. Christmas is a gentle, peaceful time, not one of power and might. It is quietness and calm, not brashness and tumult.