Join us TONIGHT from 7:00-8:00 pm for the monthly prayer gathering at the LBC office: 1300 Lake Baldwin Lane. Kids are welcome!

Can a man carry fire next to his chest
without his clothes being burned?

—Proverbs 6:27

Too Close to the Fire?

By Joe White

The context of this proverb is a warning to avoid lusting for what you do not have, but the word picture can be applied more broadly. Here’s the question that cuts to the heart: Are there any dangerous practices, behaviors, patterns of thought, that you have begun to treat as though they were safe? Sometimes we think we can flirt with our idols (comfort, pleasure, power, control, etc) without doing any lasting damage. But the reality is one cannot carry fire close to the chest and not be burned. ALL of the ways we reject God and put our trust in idols, no matter how hidden or socially acceptable, have a lasting effect on our lives.

God, in his fatherly grace, wants us to see the dangers of bringing our idols close to our hearts, so that we might stay near to His. This morning, give thanks for the beautiful sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for our rampant idolatry, and ask God to reveal the “fires” we may be carrying a little too close.

For prayer:

Ask God to open our eyes to see the emptiness of our idols, and the inability of idols to satisfy the true need of our hearts. Ask the God would give us grace, instead, to drink of him, the fountain of living water. (See Jeremiah 2:13)
Thank God for the volunteers who serve our church so that people of all ages may learn—and experience—the gospel story and the glory of Jesus.
Pray for Andrew Balducci and his team of volunteers in charge of setting up for SPLASH Kids. Pray specifically for 8 more people to serve once/month to bring the team to full strength for the fall.