The Names of God

by Tony Evans

Y 4: ESH OKLAH – CONSUMING FIRE
by 

Have you ever witnessed the destruction wrought by a forest fire? It consumes everything in its path, jumping quickly over roads and bridges and even rivers. Now imagine a consuming fire that is larger than the universe, and you’ll begin to get a small glimpse of the power of God.

We should have respect for God’s overwhelming power, but we also need to remember that He is a highly personal God who cares deeply for us. And because of this, He is a God who deserves our praise and worship at all times. We shouldn’t take Him lightly, but we also shouldn’t be afraid to cry out to Him and to enter into a relationship with Him.

God’s magnitude can be hard to reckon with, as can His attention to every detail of our lives. How can so mighty a being be so concerned with the seeming trivialities of our lives? It’s because He cares about us so deeply. And that’s why we need to allow His consuming fire to blaze strong in our hearts.

He is Esh Oklah, a consuming fire, but a fire filled with grace and patience and compassion. He draws us to Him with the goal of us making Him first in our hearts, minds and souls. And in the midst of the fire, He cultivates love in our hearts.

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