Burnin' Down The House

The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.  Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

– James 3:5

As I write this, over a thousand residents of a nearby town have been evacuated due to an uncontrolled wildfire.  Standing in Boulder looking west, the rising black plume of smoke reminds me of the Bison Fire of 2012.

One lightning bolt from heaven can set a forest aflame.  Four years ago, our house stood just a few hundred yards from where the lightning strike hit that started the Bison Fire.  My mind flashes back to standing on our porch watching bombers lay down strips of orange fire retardant while fire-fighting helicopters dropped thousands of gallons of water on the growing flames.

There wasn’t a cloud in the sky the next day when my 3pm alarm went off.  I paused to ask God to protect our home and put out the approaching wildfire, then got back to work packing and preparing to evacuate.  A few hours later, as if on cue, God brought the first rain storm in several weeks. It was a deluge that ended with a hailstorm, as if God wanted to make His point perfectly clear. I danced and shouted praises to God for this miraculous answered prayer.

In the Bible, James warns us that our tongues are powerful and can be like a wildfire that leaves a path of destruction.  He prompts us to use our tongues for greatness by praising God and boasting about His goodness.  

Every day when our 3pm alarm sounds, we are reminded that God is right there loving us, blessing us, and guiding us.  When we thank Him, we are choosing to bless Him.  When we tell others about what God is doing in our lives, we are boasting in the Lord.  

It’s our choice.  Will we control our tongues and let positive praises pour out?  Or will we set relationships on fire with critical, negative, judgmental talk?  I’m so thankful for the daily reminder of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Call because many times by 3pm, I need a course correction.  I need to be set straight and prompted to praise.  How about you?

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement