Fire and Brush

A father and his son went out one day to cut a path through the forest. After working a while, they started a fire to burn the brush they had already cleared. The father lit a match and, starting small, added more and more brush to the fire. Then they went back into the woods. When they returned with another load, the fire was almost completely out, just a few flickers and some hot coals. To the son's surprise, the father threw an entire bundle of brush onto the fire at once. Surely what was meant to be fuel for the fire would put it out completely! The boy was wrong, however, and the father knew exactly what he was doing. If he understood anything, he understood fire. In his wisdom, the father would never put too much brush on it. What's more, the fire that began small was larger this time...and even larger the next!

Sometimes it may seem that God has put too many trials and sufferings on the hearts and lives of his children. Surely the suffering he has allotted to us with quench our faith. And if not, what's the purpose anyway? I'd like to remind you of two things. First, the loving father who struck up your flicker of faith will never let it burn out. There will be times when the brush lays heavy. When you can't see a flame. When all there seems to be is some hot coals. But God will not allow your faith to burn out. The second thing is this: God intends to strengthen your faith under the brush. When this trial is through (or even in it's midst) it will burn brighter than you ever have before. True faith, when tested by trials, always burns through.