Morning by Morning
“And the fuel on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it morning by morning.”
Leviticus 6:12
The altar of the Old Covenant is a representation of our hearts in the New (Romans 12:1). It was the duty of the priests to keep the fire ever burning by adding wood “morning by morning”. In the morning as we set aside time to commune with our God who is “a consuming fire”. There is a necessity to touch the flame of the Eternal One that our own hearts may burn with a love for Him. It is this burning which keeps us from the temptations of the world and the impurities of our own selves.
As one man, greatly used of the Lord, stated: “an empty altar receives no fire” (1). Each morning we arise and lay ourselves before Him as a fresh offering that we might walk circumspectly and alert throughout the day. His fire ever falls upon the altar of sacrifice; as it was in the days of Elijah it shall be in this day.
May we discover the secret of His Flame. May we feel the embers of our hearts stirred by His Holy Breath until we are filled with the fire and intensity of His Spirit. He has an answer for cold hearts, for the lethargy in His house. It is nothing less than His presence burning within.
“Who maketh his angels spirits,
and His ministers a flame of fire”
Hebrews 1:7
His true ministers carry the flame of God burning within their hearts. They cannot be satisfied with tepid prayers, powerless sermons and the lifeless conjectures of those whose lives do not align with their words. The fire of God purifies. It warms the very soul of man and brings Him into the zeal of the Lord for His House (John 2:16-17). There is a lamentation within over the condition and the temperature of the hearts of His people. There is a seeking of the purity, power and intensity of His Spirit to see His Unity arise in His House.
It is the “fervent prayer” of a “righteous man” that avails much, that brings forth the moving of His hand in the earth. Let us keep the flame burning within; let us seek out fellowship with others who will stir the embers of our hearts that we may know, to quote a good friend, “the fellowship of the flame” (2).
His beauty will arise
out of the ashes of ourselves.
“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified”
Isaiah 61:3
What is the purpose of these people?
“And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations”
Isaiah 61:4
This is the Day of the Lord and He Himself is appointing unto them who mourn over the state of the Zion of God in our day; beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness! Let His fire fall afresh upon our hearts that He may be glorified by the lives we live and the words we speak!
“But you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable multitudes of angels, to the festal gathering and assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better than that of Abel. See that you don’t refuse him who speaks.”!
Hebrews 12:22-25
“Keep yourselves in the Love of God”
Jude 1:21
(1) Frank Bartleman
(2) CR Oliver
Brian Troxel
This reminds me of the idea that the manna in the wilderness presaged the feeding of the faithful by the Holy Spirit. The ancient food was fresh and nourishing first thing in the morning, but by mid-morning it was rotting and useless for nourishment. The heat of the sun ruined the daily food. Likewise, the cares of our day will spoil the spiritual feast our God has for us each morning, for by mid-morning we are often totally distracted. Like the Israelites of old, we must be about gathering our food from the Lord while it is still fresh and available, and we are as well. Will He feed us at other times? Yes, but the offering of ourselves in the early morning is the best way to gain the best food for our spirits and rest for our souls.
Thanks for sharing this great word for all of us!
How true! It is a day for diligence as the bread of yesterday is not sufficient for the issues of today. May we hold each other up to stand and grow into all that He has purposed.
Thank you for your kind encouragement.
BT
How true! It is a day for diligence as the bread of yesterday is not sufficient for the issues of today. May we hold each other up to stand and grow into all that He has purposed.
Thank you for your kind encouragement.
BT
This reminds me of the idea that the manna in the wilderness presaged the feeding of the faithful by the Holy Spirit. The ancient food was fresh and nourishing first thing in the morning, but by mid-morning it was rotting and useless for nourishment. The heat of the sun ruined the daily food. Likewise, the cares of our day will spoil the spiritual feast our God has for us each morning, for by mid-morning we are often totally distracted. Like the Israelites of old, we must be about gathering our food from the Lord while it is still fresh and available, and we are as well. Will He feed us at other times? Yes, but the offering of ourselves in the early morning is the best way to gain the best food for our spirits and rest for our souls.
Thanks for sharing this great word for all of us!