Wet Wood

Bill Brinkworth

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Mat. 5:16

Like many, we try to avoid using the house furnace to heat our house in the winter, and try to heat it as much as possible with the use of our fireplace. Every summer, I cut, split, and stack wood for winter’s use.

In the early, cold months, I use the oak that was split back in July. It burns hot, starts quickly, and does a wonderful job of heating up the house. It seems, however, that I never split enough. In early fall, I continue to split more, but it has not dried enough when I use it in December or January. Yes, it burns, but the heat is half as much as seasoned wood produces. It needs more attention, or it will go out; and as it burns, it is not hard to hear the water still in the wood, bubbling and sizzling.

One time when I was burning the wetter wood, I thought how much it was like so many Christians. Because of their involvement in sin, lack of spiritual growth, or decisions not to give their utmost to the Highest, they never totally meet God’s full potential He had planned for them.

Yes, they got saved, but that is just about where it ends. Perhaps, they attend church unfaithfully, or start reading their Bible, but soon their attempts fizzle out. If someone visits them, they may go to church that one time. It seems they are a high maintenance Christian. They require a lot of attention to keep living the way they should. They’re like the wet wood; they just do not burn hot for the Lord. They constantly need “stoking.”

Like the sap-soaked green wood, it will not be long until their little light flickers out. No, they will not lose their salvation; but it will not be long until their church pew is empty; or they will just be one of the countless that are saved, but not doing anything with their salvation.

What a waste of a precious, spiritual life. God had such great plans for them. It is a shame their light is close to flickering out; if they would only “dry out.” No one can do it for them. They have to do it for themselves.

It is they that must make the decision regarding whom they will serve and how fervently. It is they that have to obey the commands God has already laid on their hearts through reading Scripture, or convictions laid there from a Sunday sermon. The choice must be theirs. This world is in desperate need of seasoned, mature Christians to heat up this dying, cold world with fervent, godly heat!

“To walk on water, you first have to get out of the boat!”

dftb 7/16