With a breath of fire,
the Lord split the sky,
descending on
flaming wind.
Deep beneath the mountains,
the earth shuttered
trembling in fear.
My enemies’ spears
burst into flame
as the Lord rode
among them.
The Lord spoke:
Barbed tongues cannot cut you;
Fire will not burn you;
You are mine.
–Terry Chitwood
My verses were influenced by parts of Psalm 18. We all need to be delivered from our enemies. Much of Psalm 18 is devoted to this theme. To be able to trust in a God that is both powerful and loving is a gift of grace. Opening our hearts to this living God brings joy, a candle burning in the night.
Tongues of Fire
God descending from heaven on a flaming wind reminds me of the descent of the Holy Spirit as tongues of fire upon the Apostles during Pentecost:
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost . . .” (Acts 2: 1-4, KJV).
Trials
God chooses us, branding us with flame in this cauldron called life. During each of our trials in life, we are given the opportunity to turn to God for aid . . . for solace . . . for courage. For out of our trials God speaks, “I have called you by name, you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1, RSV).
Photo Credit: Photo by Serg_v
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