Burning Bright

We read a passage today that is easy to kinda glaze over, because we may not understand why it is there.  Sometimes we don't glaze over, we hang onto to get a better understanding.  That is the impact Numbers 26:60-61 put on me- And to Aaron were born Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ⁶¹ But Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord. (www.lifejournal.cc)  The censers they burned to the Lord was to be lit only by the everburning fire.  They were not to find another way to light their censers for worship.  These two sons of Aaron did it their way, instead of God's way.  This incident is recorded in Exodus as well as earlier in Numbers.  It is one of those passages that gets your attention because it is not something that we read of often. 
It reminds me of when Lot's wife was told not to turn around, but she did....but never again.  It reminds me of when Ananias and Sapphira stood up and gave a testimony and an offering but lied about what they gave.  They both quickly died after the fact.   Why such a drastic response by the Lord?  I don't know all the answers to that, but I do know the powerful lesson that came forth their situation and the poweful impression that it made on others.  Lot's wife disobeyed.  She looked back.  Christ said no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.  Ananias and Sapphira misrepresented their offering.  Christ taught about the genuineness of a life offering and not just one to show off.  Nadab and Abihu tried to light their own fire, their own way.  We cannot light our own spiritual fire.  If we do, it is not legitimate. A relationship with the Lord comes from our surrender of our own ways and techniques and a filling and empowerment of the Lord's Spirit in our lives.  The Holy Spirit is often represented in the form of fire.
To me the lesson is strong.  You cannot have your way.  You must do it God's way.  If you do it your way, does that mean God will strike you down?  Usually not.  He can but He did things like that so seldom that when He does it is recorded in Scripture as a great example for the rest of us.   The greater likelihood would be that the greatest opportunities of our lives will be stolen from us by the evil one if we don't surrender to the Lord and His ways.  When we believe that we can do it our way instead of surrendering to His, we try to light our own worship censer in our power, instead of following the Lord's lead and letting His Spirit light our fire.  It will never satisfy and it will never last.  Always remember that it is not about getting things to go our way in heaven.  It is about getting things to go God's way in our lives here on earth.  That only comes in our surrender.  With our surrender He'll light us up!
Let Him light your fire today and burn bright for Him!