A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory. Matthew 12:20 NIV
This is one of the most encouraging verses in the Bible! We know we should be on fire for God, yet there are times when we are little more than a smoldering wick. For all the times that you or your loved ones are struggling spiritually, it’s great to know God would rather bring us through to victory than snuff us out. And just like we revive a candle that is about to die by breathing gently on it, our God gently breathes on us and rekindles the fire within our spirit.
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3 NIV
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Psalm 34:18 NLT
We rejoice in these verses, and appreciate the hope they give us. Yet, we never want to mistake the kindness and mercy of our God for weakness or acceptance of our sin. In His mercy, God not only provides us with truth that encourages us, His word also provides us with fair warning.
Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. Revelation 3:2-3 NIV
These words were written to the church of Sardis, not to unbelievers. They indeed were recognized by God as a church, yet as it appears, a church that had gone from being a flaming fire to a smoldering wick. God in His mercy did not snuff them out, but gave them time to wake up and strengthen what remained. He is so consistent!
How about you? Are you on fire for God today, passionately serving Him with all your heart, or are you closer to a smoldering wick? The church of Sardis was given three ways to strengthen what was about to die:
- Remember what you have received and heard. If your flame is not burning as bright as it once was take the time to recall the goodness of God. Think about all that He has done in your life, where you were before you were walking with Him and how far He has brought you. Rekindle the passion you had for Him when you first believed.
- Hold it fast. Cherish your relationship with God. Seek Him with all your heart. Set aside time to pray and enjoy time in His presence. Set new priorities that include the spiritual disciplines you may have let slip…reading the Bible, worshiping God, fellow-shipping with other believers.
- Repent. This includes not only recognizing your mistake and asking for forgiveness, but it also includes turning around and heading in the opposite direction. Whatever has distracted you from your relationship with God needs to be set aside or at least re-prioritized. Determine today that you will focus your attention on God first from here on out. Ask Him to breathe on you and rekindle the flame in your heart that burns for Him.
If you are praying for a loved one, don’t give up hope. Keep praying and keep encouraging them. God wants to bring them through to victory!