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Our text today is Hosea 7:4-5:

They are all adulterers;
they are like a heated oven
whose baker ceases to stir the fire,
from the kneading of the dough
until it is leavened.
On the day of our king, the princes
became sick with the heat of wine;
he stretched out his hand with mockers. — Hosea 7:4-5

Not every fire in you comes from God.

Some spiritual fire gives warmth. Some brings light. Some purify. But some fires, the unholy fires, destroy everything they touch.

That is Hosea's picture here. Israel had become "like a heated oven." This was not the fire of holy passion or godly zeal. It was the fire of corrupted desire. Lust, indulgence, drunkenness, pride, and appetite had been fed until the whole nation burned out of control.

Even the leaders were consumed by it. Note verse 5:

"On the day of our king,"

What should have been a moment of national dignity became a scene of national disgrace. The princes were drunk. Mockers were welcomed. Those entrusted to lead had become examples of excess. This has become season one of the Game of Thrones origin story.

This is what happens when God no longer governs desire.

The fire of corrupted desire never stays contained. It spreads into decisions, relationships, speech, leadership, and culture. What begins in the heart eventually appears in public life.

You may not be in a palace feast or worshiping Baal, but you can still burn with the wrong fire. You can be driven by attention, ruled by anger, controlled by lust, addicted to approval, or consumed by ambition.

Many people are led by these cravings. Or led away by these cravings. This is why God does not simply call us to deny desire. He calls us to transform it.

Too many believers focus on only stopping a corrupted desire. But stopping is not enough. We need to replace that desire with something more holy, righteous, and fulfilling. A holy fire. A holy desire.

The goal is not to have no fire. The goal is to have the right fire.

Today, quench the unholy fire with its desires and actions. But simultaneously light a new holy fire to burn within you. A heart burning with love for God. A mind burning with truth. A life burning with holy purpose.

Today, take a moment to reflect on this question: What fire is fueling me right now? What desire, emotion, or appetite keeps burning in my life?

Whatever you keep feeding will keep burning. If the wrong fire is burning in you, do not excuse it. Bring it to God. Let his Spirit purify what your flesh has inflamed. The enemy wants the fire to burn you. God wants the fire to refine you.

DO THIS:

Identify one unhealthy desire or emotion that has been driving you lately. Confess it to God and replace it with one godly action today.

ASK THIS:

1. What has been fueling my decisions lately?
2. Am I led more by cravings or conviction?
3. What would it look like for my passions to be surrendered to God?

PRAY THIS:

God, show me where the wrong fire is burning in me. Purify my desires and ignite in me a passion for what honors you. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Set a Fire"