Rake the Coals of Thy Fire....

"...rake the coals of thy fire so that it will start, burst into flame more easily upon the morrow...."

 

This quote from an old, Puritan write has intrigued me. What's more, it has challenged me to greater discipline. Few of us understand the urgency behind this analogy: To someone in the 17th Century, the fire was the heat and source of cooking power. Much of the life in the house revolved around using and tending to the fire. The fire was life-giving and essential. For it to go out was a serious problem! So what about our Christian life? While we would most all readily admit that the Spirit's fire is essential, do we really order our day so that we can tend this fire and quench it not?

So then, what is this tending of the fire, this "raking the coals"? In my limited knowledge of fires I see several points of interest: 

1) First, to rake the coals there had to be a fire there already. Are you saved? Does your heart grow warm when His kingdom is mentioned? Do you thrill at the reading of His Word as with a great glowing ardor? Then God has placed His fire in your heart. Some would say, "but my fire has gone out!" No! If you are truly saved, He will not allow that to happen. Dig around in the ashes of your heart to find those live embers and then fan them into flame. If your fire is truly out, then you never had His life-giving fire in your heart in the first place! This can only be remedied by humbly repenting and petitioning Him for Salvation. You cannot start your own fire. Remember Nadab and Abihu and their unauthorized fire! (See Lev 10.) 

2) For there to be a fire there, there must be work and planning. These are coals that we are to rake. Coals are the long-lasting hot-points of a fire. When something else comes next to the coals, it too catches fire. How do you get long-lasting coals? Not from paper. That's a flash and it is gone. Nor from small kindling. No, the best coals come from the densest, hard-wood logs. Oak and maple fires will have many hot, glowing embers eight or more hours later. In our Christian life, with what sort of things are we stoking our fire? Light reading? Current events? Sensational stories? Emotionally appealing tripe? If that is all, we will not have many if any coals in the evening, much less the morning! No, we need to feed our soul's fire with God's Word itself: with great logs of doctrine that we ponder and marvel on all day long. Second we feed our soul's fire with writings of those who likewise ponder these deep and marvelous doctrines from God's Word. Puritan writers, D. Lloyd-Jones, P. G. Mathew among others. Do this and you will have hot coals to rake. 

3) Where there is fire there will be ash also. Some of this raking involves the removing of the dead fire, the debris of our own wood, hay and stubble that God's mercy ignited. Perhaps that is why we don't like keeping the fire burning hot so that it is useful. For while it is hot, it also burns our ambitions and self-esteem and worldly pleasures. The dross is purged. Note also that paper and things like it produce much more ash then do hard-wood logs. So also we will have less ash -- less carnal pleasures to repent of if we feed our soul's fire with doctrine instead of sensational, feel-good readings. But forget all these little trinkets of wood, hay and stubble. Look at the great treasure which He is giving -- and has given already--to us! Note also that this ash removal needs to be done at least morning and evening. That sounds like repentance, doesn't it? Never done with it in this life. Repentance is not a once for all, done with it sort of thing. It is daily, on-going. The Puritans said that the two wings by which we fly to heaven are Repentance and Faith. Don't hobble your flight to God. Repent! Clear out the ashes of your soul's fire regularly.

4) Lastly, I want to point out just how much work there is involved in tending a fire. Yes. We all know that it is God who saves us. He reaches down monergistically and sets our hearts aflame. No human with any type of "strike anywhere" match could have ever lit the water-logged alter of our hearts. But just as for Elijah, fire came down from heaven and ignited our hearts. (See II Kings 18:30 - 38) But somehow, we in our fleshly, carnal wisdom want this to stay and to remain completely God's working. We want this sanctification process to be completely of God too. Face it. We' tend toward a certain amount of spiritual laziness. But that is not what the Bible teaches. Herein is another divine mystery! We work in partnership with God Himself! This is why the scripture implores us to "make every effort" and to "make sure" and "to guard your hearts"! Phil 2: 12, 13 says "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." We are to work our our salvation. Work it to the outside so that others may see it. God has placed it there on the inside, now we need to work it to the outside. In thoughts; in speech; and in actions. Raking the coals, and tending our fire will make our lives shine that much brighter for this King who has worked in us such a great salvation!

So, to what end now? What benefit is there in all this work? You will have a heart that is ready to spring forth in praises and supplication upon your waking! No need to spend extra hours trying to find the ember and coax it back to life. No need to start afresh with the paper and kindling of light, simplistic and trivial readings. The coals will already be hot --eager for another log of from God's Word. Notice that this fire will not automatically spring to life. It takes some attention in the morning too. But with the preparation from the night before, it is ready and will take little additional effort.


This Puritan writer adds yet one more incentive: "...for he that goes to sleep in the presence of the Lord, will surely wake in His Presence!"

- D. Benning