You have asked prayer for your house and your health, and I gladly unite my supplications with yours. The threat of fire rages near your home, and you long for safety and strength to enjoy this holiday with your family. It is well that you have brought these concerns to the Lord’s people, for we have a faithful High Priest who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities.
Yet let us remember: the Christian is no stranger to walking through the fire. The word of promise declares, “When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” If God permits the flames to draw near, it is not because He lacks restraint, but because He would teach us that His protection is supernatural, not natural. We may well cry, “Fire! fire!” when danger is at hand, but we cry also to Him who is a wall of fire round about His people. The same Flame that shall one day cleanse this sin-stained earth with burning will not consume the saint who is hidden in Christ. The very word of God is a fire, and prayer kindles a holy warmth that no earthly blaze can quench.
I pray you may be kept in health, but more than this, I pray that no sickness of soul may weigh upon you. There is a safety far greater than the safety of bricks and mortar, the safety of the spirit, kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. Our safety lies in our Saviour, who is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. Let this be your confidence, not the absence of alarm.
And what of your holiday? Begin at home, even while you travel. Carry the fire of devotion with you, that wherever you lodge, you may build before your own house, spiritually. Let the recollection of the Lord’s mercies warm your heart, and let the hammer of His truth break any coldness that creeps in. Should sickness try you, or sorrow overshadow your mirth, count it not strange. The Refiner’s fire is not meant to destroy, but to purge away dross, that you may come forth as gold.
Go then, with a quiet heart. Commit your dwelling to the Keeper of Israel, who neither slumbers nor sleeps. And if you would have a fire that warms without harming, stoke the coals of family prayer and thanksgiving. Then, whether the flames of earthly trial dance near your threshold or not, you shall know the joy of one who is securely kept for a home where fire cannot kindle and sickness never enters. The Lord watch over your going out and your coming in, from this time forth and even for evermore.