The Hottest Flame for Chaff

11.19.2010

Matthew 3:12 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” ESV

About once a year when the weather conditions are just right (the wind isn’t blowing too hard), I burn weeds in my back yard. I put the weeds in a pile, get the burn permit, make sure I have a hose (fully charged) nearby, light the fire; and the weeds burn unbelievably hot. That’s my idea of the heat of unquenchable: the right combination of flimsy fuel, heat, and oxygen make for some nearly explosive flames. I imagine that’s how chaff burns as well.

Chaff seems to be the unimportant stuff of life that we spend so much time dwelling on; yes and allowing to consume our lives, our thoughts and our focus. We seem to pour a lot of precious resource into chaff. Chaff is one of the things Jesus came to eradicate and the hottest flame for chaff is always the truth. You wanna burn a hot fire, just start throwing around some truth – things’ll heat up in a hurry.

There are times of the year – along about late August and into September that the last thing I want in my yard is fire – tinder dry grass would be a great descriptor. But if I go after the weeds early then I don’t have to go after them late. Paul said, “Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw — each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.” (1 Corinthians 3:12-13) Bottom line, the chaff won’t make it through the fire – not mine, not yours, not anyone’s.

Father in Heaven,
I am exposed to the unquenchable fire of Your truth and it does its work in my life. I pray not to withstand the fire but be purified by it that what is of Your truth may stand and I may be found saved – I pray in Your Name, amen.