Last night, in the Poconos where we are holidaying, the fire burned bright. Sparks flew upward like tiny stars, wood crackled, and flames licked the night with warmth and light. We sat around it, roasting marshmallows, laughing at each other’s sticky fingers, and marveling at how a small pile of logs could turn the cold air into comfort.
But this morning as—ah, how the mighty fall! Those proud flames have bowed into silence. What remains are weak embers, smoldering faintly in gray ash. Their power is gone, their boast is done, their warmth nearly finished.
And then, I lift my eyes. Above the tall pines, higher than their spires, stretches a sky so vast that no words can contain it. Blue, deep, eternal. And in that stillness, I hear more than silence—I hear the voice of the Almighty. The One who spoke to Moses from a bush that burned but was not consumed. The One who led Israel through wilderness with a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. The One who “measures the heavens with the span of His hand” and calls the stars each by name.
The embers below me are fleeting. The heavens above me are forever.
And I think, dear reader, how much of our lives are spent chasing embers. Power. Wealth. Fame. They roar for a moment, give us temporary warmth, make us feel strong and secure. But soon they burn out, and we are left cold, clutching ashes.
But the sky above? That is no ember. That is the dwelling place of the Almighty God, who declares, “Heaven is My throne and earth is My footstool.”That is permanence. That is power. That is glory.
“Behold, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Not a promise like a dying ember, but a word backed by the Eternal Flame. This is the God who thunders from Sinai, whose whisper calms Elijah, whose presence filled the temple so completely the priests could not stand. This is no fading fire. This is the consuming fire of a holy, awesome God.
And so, I sit here, in the stillness of the morning. The embers tell me of endings. But the sky tells me of the Eternal. And my soul cannot stay silent. It sings a line from the ancient hymn: “Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee, how great Thou art, how great Thou art.”
Yes, the embers fade. Let them fade. But the heavens endure. The Power that split the Red Sea, that brought down Jericho’s walls, that raised Christ from the grave—that Power reigns still.
So, look up, dear friend. Don’t warm yourself only at the embers of this world.
And don’t get scared by the political situation in India, just lift your eyes to the sky above and know: the awesome God who holds the stars in His hand holds you, and those who threaten, and intimidate you will soon be - ah just look at those blackened embers …!
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