A Spiritual Fire

I thought the fire was out in my fireplace. I stirred the ashes, and I burned my hands. ~ Spanish poet Antonio Machado

When I read this quote I related it to a spiritual fire. Sometimes it feels like God is far away and then you go to a church service, a retreat, a concert, a small group meeting or tea with a friend, or you see a movie, read your Bible, see a rainbow or hear a child's laughter, go to the opera, marvel at the stars or hear a song on the radio and the ashes are stirred and God is as close as He's ever been.

But if I say, "I will not mention him
or speak any more in his name,"
his word is in my heart like a fire,
a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in;
indeed, I cannot. ~Jeremiah 20:9

"I baptize you with[a] water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ~Matthew 3:11

I know there are SOOO many more verses about fire and it is used symbolically in the Bible many times, for different things even. Our God is a consuming fire. We are purified and refined by fire. Sometimes fire destroys and other times it renews. I may find and add more verses later. It's way too late right now. If you think of or find any relevant verses, feel free to leave them in the comments section. Good night friends.