Wickedness Burns

Surely wickedness burns like a fire;

it consumes briers and thorns,

it sets the forest thickets ablaze,

so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke. 

(Isaiah 9:18)

It's amazing to think that the wildfires which periodically ravage forests in Colorado, California and the Pacific Northwest all start off small. They burn hundreds or even thousands of acres. They force families from their homes. They kill wildlife. But in the beginning, they are small enough to stamp out with your foot. You could prevent all that damage with a single glass of water if you were there early enough. But sadly we often don't notice these fires until they get big, and by that time, it's often too late to do anything about them.

This Scripture tells us that wickedness burns just like a forest fire. It's just as destructive. Sin will ravage your home. It will send your family away. It will take everything you hold dear away from you and leave a path of destruction in its wake. 

But, just like forest fires, we often don't notice our sin until its too late. Our sin looks so small to us. We can't bring ourselves to think it can really do any harm. We think we've got it under control, so we turn our back on it...and there in the background of our lives, it burns. While you aren't paying attention to it, your sin grows and spreads and gains destructive power. If you aren't careful one day you'll turn around and it'll be too late. Your materialism, your lust, your addiction, or your selfishness will have grown too big for you. It will be blazing out of control, and you'll have to watch it destroy everything you hold dear.

Hear this warning of Scripture before it's too late. "Wickedness burns like a fire! It sets the forest ablaze." So be vigilant! Remove wickedness far from you. Don't hold burning embers against your chest. Cast them away! Harbor no sin or deceit. Give no quarter to your enemy. Make no provision for wickedness in your life. Ask God to help you see the sin you harbor today, and turn it over to Him.