The Ash

"The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood... and carry out the ashes." (Leviticus 6:11-12)' Imagine a fireplace. You had a roaring fire last night.

It was warm and beautiful. But this morning, the fire is dead. The wood is gone. All that is left is a pile of gray Ash . If you try to light a new fire directly on top of the old ash, it won't burn.

The ash chokes the airflow. To have a fresh fire, you must do the dirty, boring work: Scoop out the ash. This is the secret of Spiritual Maintenance . Many Christians live on "Yesterday's Fire." They talk about what God did in 1999.

They talk about the retreat they went to last year. But God requires a Fresh Fire every morning. The Wood: Fresh Word (Reading the Bible today). The Ash: Old Glories (Yesterday's success) or Old Failures (Yesterday's sin).

You cannot live on yesterday's encounter. You must clear the grate every morning. Remove the ash. Lay new wood. Light it again.

The fire on the Altar in the Tabernacle came from heaven, but the wood had to be gathered by men. God provides the spark; you provide the fuel. Paul told Timothy to "fan into flame the gift of God" (2 Timothy 1:6).

Fire naturally goes out. If you leave a fire alone, it dies. You have to tend it. If your heart is cold, it’s not because God left; it’s because you stopped adding wood. Reflect on this: Are you living on ash?

"I used to pray..." "I used to be passionate..." Stop looking back. Grab the shovel. Confess your coldness (remove the ash). Open your Bible (add the wood). 👣 Take a Step Action: The Morning Fire. Tomorrow morning, do not look at your phone.

Go straight to the Bible. Read one Psalm. Pray: "Lord, here is the wood. Send the fire."