In 2003, the B&B Complex wildfire ravaged 90,000 acres of the Deschutes National Forest. Observers were stunned by the fury of the fire that had a 35,000’ smoke plume, spread rapidly, and created its own weather.
Last August on an idyllic summer day, my husband and I hiked through a portion of the wilderness burned in that fire. More than a decade later, the land still bears scars of the fire’s devastation. However, the vestiges of the fire were not what was striking. Everywhere we looked, new growth exploded through the charred remains. Wildflowers, huckleberries and blueberries, butterflies and bees met us at every turn. The forest was buzzing with life. While the fire had wreaked havoc on the area and evidence of that destruction remained, it also cleared out the underbrush, paving the way for new, vibrant growth.
Sometimes we have forest fires in our lives. For many, 2020 has delivered both symbolic and literal fires, one after another. In such times, it can be hard to imagine recovering, let alone producing flowers or fruit. But God uses the forest fires of our lives to burn off the underbrush, refining us, so we can rise from the ashes and bloom, reflecting Him to a hurting world..
An anonymous hymn writer penned,
“When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to his foes.
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.”
Do you feel shaken? A bit whiplashed by the events of the last several months? Me too. May you and I find encouragement and hope in the fact that God does not waste these trials, nor does he abandon us to them. In Deuteronomy 31:6, God instructed Israel how to respond to their enemies. His admonition also applies to our response to trials: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
