Prayer: Father, You don’t promise that we won’t have to walk through the fire. In fact, Your Word says “When you walk through the fire.” You do promise that You will walk with us through the fire and we will not be consumed by it. Help me to remember Your promises when I feel the “heat” and to reach out with Your love and compassion to others who may feel they are being consumed by the flames. Amen

Scripture: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:2 NIV

Have you passed through any rivers or walked through any fires lately? I had a teacher tell me that just walking the halls of her school was like passing through the flames. It was the students’ language, the inappropriate physical contact, the clothing, the gossip, the smell of cigarettes and alcohol on the students, or of course, those less-than-enthusiastic looks on their faces as they filed into her classroom. She said it was enough to make her want to quit every day. She wanted to scream, “Why do I bother?!”

On top of school issues there are health problems, finances, marriage/family issues that surround us and distract us. It may even seem that they will consume us, but today’s scripture promises that we will not be swept over or set ablaze. We are fireproof.

What are some “fires” in your school and life? Are you able to “keep cool” or are you “feeling the heat?”

What are some things you can do to help fight or even extinguish those flames?

Copyright Kathy Branzell. To connect with the author, email info@christianeducators.org

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