"The fire shall be burning continually upon the altar;
it shall not go out."
Leviticus 6:13 AMP
Cold crept through the cabin as the evening came to a close. My husband and I, newly married, were spending our honeymoon at a cabin belonging to a friend of the family. Snow covered the ground outside on that late November night and we knew the temperatures would feel pretty frigid by morning. Since the wood stove was the only source of heat, we banked the fire to keep the coals alive until we got up the next day. Then, it would be a simple job to get the fire going again to warm up the house as we enjoyed breakfast together.
In the same way that we kept the coals burning throughout that cold wintery night, God required that the fire on the altar of the Tabernacle be kept going continuously as a symbol of His constant presence and the people's perpetual need for atonement. Even though my sins have now been paid for once and for all by the sacrifice of the perfect Lamb of God, I still have a need for His constant presence.
There is no place that I can go that would be away from Him, for His Spirit dwells within me. (Psalm 139:1-18) What does His omnipresence mean for me as I go about my daily life?
Conviction of Sin
The pressure on her chest was so strong that my friend thought she was having a panic attack. Every time this sensation occurred, she realized she was about to do something that would grieve the Holy Spirit. Soon she put two and two together and surmised that the pressure she was feeling was the conviction of God's Spirit, warning her not to do what she was considering. When she heeded this cautionary sign, the sensation would dissipate.
While God does not convict me in such a physically obvious way, He has His way of letting me know when I've sinned or am about to enter into dangerous territory. If I ignore this subtle warning, I find myself drifting away from God in my disobedience. Learning to heed His cautionary alerts results in an increase of the intimacy I share with my heavenly Father as my faith grows.
When I sense that uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach, I had better pay attention to what I've gotten myself into. It is easy for me to feign ignorance, pretending I don't realize the action I'm about to take is an affront to God. If I humble myself, however, and submit to His authority, I'll find a peace flooding my being. (Psalm 119:1-8)
As a sinful creature, I am comfortable with wrongdoing. If left to my own devices, I may want to obey God, but my flesh desires that which offends Him. (Romans 7:18-20) Therefore, I need His indwelling Spirit which comes through faith in Jesus Christ to point out that which is second nature to me, convicting me of the sin I must turn away from. When I've already fallen, it is only His holy presence that lets me know my own role in this downfall.
God's ever-present burning within me serves as a strong yet subtle warning system.
Guidance
The surveyor got right to work marking the boundaries of our property. I was surprised to find out that all he needed to do was find the markers already buried underground to guide his way. Once he found a metal stake, he would post a flag in that position. Therefore, the work of determining the borders had already been done by the developer and all that was left for the surveyor to do was locate the stakes that were left behind.
This is similar to my life. I don't need to forge my own path, determining with my own understanding which is the right way to go. Instead, God already has a way marked out for me. All that is left for me to do is look for the tell tale signs of His presence. (Jeremiah 29:11-13, Proverbs 3:5-6)
The key to knowing God's will for my life is submission. I must want His way more than I desire to do what I want. When I place myself into His capable hands, I am giving Him the authorization to guide my footsteps. If I'd rather be in control, I'll never be able to locate His plan for my life since I am letting Him know in my attitude that I prefer my own way to His. (Proverbs 3:34, Romans 12:2)
God's ever-present burning within me serves as a guide to the way of righteousness. (Psalm 23:3)
Transformation
He was a new creation. The transformation from angry, self-destructive addict to peaceful, productive man of God was almost instantaneous. His family couldn't believe their eyes. His co-workers hardly recognized his new serene countenance. His friends dropped away as they grew uncomfortable with his changed persona. Confessing Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior altered his life dramatically. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
While every new believer does not experience such a radical, immediate change, we all go through a transformation process as we walk with the Lord by faith. (Philippians 1:6) He alters my priorities, taking that which used to be so important to me and rendering it meaningless. (Philippians 3:7)
He also gives me a new perspective so that I see things I never used to notice, like the grumpy man who is really just lonely or the mean and bitter woman whose heart mourns the loss of her husband. (Ezekiel 36:26)
As I submit myself to the work of God's Spirit within me, I will find that I will want to do things that please God. While I used to only be concerned with what would bring pleasure to me, as a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, my very desires change to that which pleases Him. (Psalm 37:4) None of these modifications are as the result of my own effort, but simply the work of God's Spirit within me. (Philippians 2:13)
God's ever-present burning within me serves as a catalyst for change that I cannot explain.
In the same way that the constant burning of the fire at the altar in the Tabernacle of old symbolized God's omnipresence, as a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, I can also rely on the continual presence of God's Spirit within me. Therefore, I can expect Him to convict me of past and present sin, guide me on the way He has prepared for me to travel, and transform me supernaturally as I submit to His authority in my life. In these ways, His continuous fire is a powerful sign that I belong to Him.
As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can leave my own desires behind and completely submit to God's work in my life.
When do I try to find my own way instead of seeking God's?
How am I trying to bring about change through sheer effort instead of letting God change me from the inside out?
