I can remember standing in the Nibble Nook at Bonclarken (our church camp's snack shop/picnic area) singing the old song, "It only takes a spark, to get a fire going, and soon all those around can warm up it in it's glowing, that's how it is with God's love..." It was my generations "Kumbaya." Sitting in the theater, on screen, the main character has a thermos of gasoline and a lighter, trying to start a fire in the middle of the vast ocean of snow, it only took a spark, and soon they were able to fend off wolves and stay warm. A spark, one little spark can start a fire that can burn for acres; one little spark can start a fire that will warm hopeless men in the middle of nowhere. A spark, can change a person's life for eternity...
All it takes is a spark. We each have these desires that lie within us, these passions that we want filled, these visions and goals and dreams that we want to see the Lord take and make His own. We each have this spark inside of us, that if we are believers, is to bring glory to Him in all we say and do. But life takes a toll on us; life breaks us down, jobs, careers, family, friends, the world in general begin to dim the light; and the light and passion we had inside of us begins to fade. We see ourselves becoming more worldly and less like the Word. Our passion and our desires begin to be lost admits the desires of the world. Pain, hurt, turmoil fill our hearts, life happens. And then the Holy Spirit with His presence sees the spark that is still there, flickering in the depths of our hearts, and He begins to blow on it gently, as to not snuff it out, and He begins to put kindling around it through the Word, through song, through prayer, through communion with Him, and all of a sudden the spark grows into a small flame and the flame grows into a passionate fire. The Holy Spirit rained down from heaven in the form of fire at Pentecost and that fire and that power is within us as believers, as the body. He is inside of us desiring to be a burning presence in our lives.
All it takes is a spark. Once someone has been touched by the love of Christ, it will linger with them, it will resonate with in them. Once you have experienced the love of the Father, you can not help but dwell in His presence, you can not help but to warm up in His arms, you can not help but to run to the warmth of His embrace.
All it takes is a spark. For believers, there is no state of hopelessness. In the movie mentioned, one knew the men were hopeless. There was no happy ending, no hope for their future, but we as believers live in a state of hope. When things are failing around us, when life is happening, when we are standing in the middle of a room with chaos abounding, when our minds are questioning and doubting, we have a hope. It only takes a spark of hope to remember it is not about this day, it is about THAT day, it is not about being happy it's about being joyful, it is not about bringing glory to my name but to His name, it is not about whether I made the right or wrong decision but determining that I will make decisions from this day forth based on His Word not on this world. It only takes a spark to turn a life around for eternity.“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
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