That old stump continues to stump me.
We tried burning it again yesterday, hoping the carpenter ants inside would also perish. It burned for awhile, but eventually went out. It’s hard to defeat.
As I stood staring at the heat waves and smoke rising into the air, the words of a friend came to mind. We’d been discussing the current state of affairs. Not exactly politics, but they’re integral in the not-so-grand scheme of things. My friend said to me, “When folks ask my take on things I tell ‘em to read Revelation. I used to say read the Bible, but Revelation is pretty important right now.”
Have you read Revelation?
I read it again the other night. There are verses describing the fall of twin candlesticks, the fall and defeat of Babylon. There are strange descriptions, confusing symbols and marvelous illustrations from John. Revelation describes the ending of an age … the culmination of evil intent … the mark of the beast … the final days.
I’m not saying the end of the world is coming.
I’m not prophesizing and haven’t fallen off my rocker. I’m just saying that when the end of the world or my own demise comes, I certainly don’t want to end up in a sea of fire, burning for all eternity. Fire is hot. It’s painful. It’s hard to defeat.
I don’t want to be a burning stump.
With these thoughts swimming around in my head, I decided to look up a few verses that speak of fire. There are many of course, but these ones held my interest. I can’t tell you why … can’t explain how … but they seemed important to me. So here they are — the verses that struck me as important in my blind search for a way to illustrate the crazy, mixed-up workings of my mind.
Read ‘em, think about ‘em and well … I’ll leave the rest up to you.
I have determined to do this city harm and not good, declares the LORD. It will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire. ~ Jeremiah 21:10
I will enslave you to your enemies in a land you do not know, for my anger will kindle a fire that will burn against you. ~ Jeremiah 15:14
O house of David, this is what the LORD says: ” ‘Administer justice every morning; rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed, or my wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done— burn with no one to quench it. ~Jeremiah 21:12
The next two don’t speak of fire, but fire follows.
Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son. ~ I John 2:22
Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. ~II John 1:7
If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ~ John 15:6
There you have it.
I don’t normally shout fire and brimstone at complete strangers — or even people I know well, but that stump really got me thinking. I’m still stumped.
Sometimes I feel like the remains of that tree in my yard.
When someone adds accelerant, I spark to life and burn brightly, but when the offending stuff burns away, I go out. I stop burning. I stop fighting to defend what I know is right, and against what I know is wrong.
I don’t want to be a stubborn stump … in the way, useless, watching things go on around me, festering with ants that eat away at me … only flaring up when someone pokes me directly. I want to burn and flame and stay alight, smoking in my indignation and blazing against wrongdoing.
I don’t want to be a useless stump.
Know what happens to stumps?
A grinder chips them into oblivion.
