I remember once as a child my father and I were on our way from fishing on some of my grandfather's property to my grandparent's home when I noticed my grandparent's neighbor's field was on fire. Most of the land was engulfed in flame, and I felt something needed to be done right away. I pointed the fire out to my father and declared that we needed to call the fire department. My father told me that there was no need to call anyone. The fire had been set intentionally. He called it a controlled burn.
I had never seen such a thing, and it didn't make any sense to me. My father explained that from time to time a controlled burn helped make crop land more productive. It burned off woody plants that interfered with crops. It rid the field of old dead plants, and somehow the fire renewed the soil and promoted new growth. It seemed counterproductive to destroy in order to make things better, but it worked.
Our life can be like that field. We are called to bear fruit, to have a crop for God. But after a while our soil can get old, plants that were supposed to produce fruit have died and their remains are littering the fields of our heart, and weeds and woody growth threatens to choke out all new growth. So God allows a controlled burn. We may freak and become afraid. We want the fire put out. Now. It burns and hurts. It's destructive. It doesn't make sense. But we're not understanding what God is doing. The unwanted and unneeded needs to be removed to renew us and make us more productive. Today let us not fear the fires that God allows in our life. Let us not become angry and bitter when they are not removed right away as we would prefer. Something good is being done, and we will be the better and more productive for it in due season.
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