Inward Fire

 

When we were growing up, our entertainment options were very limited. Screen time was rarely an option. So we found creative ways to keep ourselves busy by interacting with each other.  We invented countless silly games that kept us entertained. I love how we were always connecting with each other instead of screens. One of our favorite games was hiding an object somewhere in the house and asking our siblings to find it. We offered clues using words like “cold” when they were far from the object, “warm” when they were getting closer, and “hot” when they were very close to finding it.  

My quiet devotional time sometimes reminds me of this simple game we played as kids.

When I start reading, I prayerfully tune into the inner voice of the Spirit. I engage with it, listening for gentle hints about what God wants to reveal to me that day. Often, I begin with little to no feeling—that's when I know I'm in the "cold" zone. But when I pause on a particular scripture and reflect on its meaning, I sense the Spirit awakening something in me, as if whispering, "You're getting warmer." While I continue to meditate on that word, exploring the passage and inviting the Holy Spirit to guide my understanding, often using other additional passages of scripture, the Lord's message for me becomes more and more clear. That's when I get filled with excitement, knowing I've entered the "hot" zone.

Luke 24 beautifully illustrates this with the disciples traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus. As they walked and discussed all that had happened with Jesus, he drew near to them. When he opened the scriptures and explained their meaning, their hearts started to burn within them, their inner fire becoming stronger with each word.

“Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” (Lu. 24:32)

“My heart grew hot within me. While I meditated, the fire burned;” (Ps. 39:3)