This is one of the first songs I wrote for the album – and really sums up the heart of the whole album. All too often rather than burning for Jesus, so many people burn out. I’ve been there. I’ve discovered how creativity can be energising and used well for God, but when taken to the extreme, can also keep you up at night and sap you dry. And how being a perfectionist can lead you to produce excellent things for God, but can also leave you feeling disappointed with yourself and others. I’ve discovered how burdened you can become for the church and its spiritual health – to the detriment of your own. This is not what Jesus had in mind when He came to die on the cross for us. He promises that His yoke is easy and His burden is light and He invites us into His rest (Matthew 11:28-30).
This song is a prayer born out of a desire to not only live an unburdened life for God, but to BURN for Him and to remain zealous and full of faith in God through all the twists and turns of life. “Let me never quench what you started in my heart. Keep on burning, Holy Fire. Keep on moving in me, oh ignite the spark. Keep on burning, Holy Fire.”
Some parts of the song address the obstacles or “fire killers” that I have experienced that have gotten in the way. The first verse begins by addressing the struggles of the mind, with the prayer, “Melt the obstacles and stubborn lies woven in my mind, restore my sight”. I was stuck in unhealthy thought patterns for years that led to over-striving and eventually burnout, and Jesus did these things for me – removed the obstacles, revealed the lies and His truth and opened my eyes. He continues to lead me and transform my mind.
The verse continues, “I’ll embrace the love that captured mine. I’ll be ready, Lord, with the arms of a child”. It is both an act of faith and of love to approach God as Father, going to Him in worship but also trusting Him with all our issues and baggage (more fire-killers!). I wrote these words as a promise to be soft and open to God and to highlight the human need for intimacy with God.
The lyrics in verse 2 are a plea to the weary heart. “See, oh weathered heart, the wonder of God, from the rocky path to the mountaintop.” How easily can we lose our sense of awe toward God when we go through stuff? We get worn out, weathered, even hardened in the battles; our faith can really take a hit. We can lose it altogether or just “lay low” in our spiritual lives. Jesus urges His followers to have faith and not doubt – we find this in so many places in the New Testament (Mark 9:23, Matthew 21:21-22). I have found that faith is a key element in keeping the flame alive and that exercising our faith in God ultimately results in knowing His peace! “When the heat sets in, only believe. Lay your stress on Him, discover His peace.” In order to have healthy minds we need peace! And to have peace, we need to believe! 🙂
The bridge is prayer of surrender to the work of the the Holy Spirit and a plea for even more of His work. “Holy Spirit, have Your way. Keep on moving, keep me burning, growing brighter by the day. Keep on moving, keep me burning…” God answers the cries of the heart in amazing ways and loves to restore and rebuild lives. It’s the work of His spirit that makes refuelling and reigniting our spirits possible!
My prayer is that God would not only “ignite the spark” but that the flame of Christ burning in us would grow brighter by the day! If your prayer today is for God to restore your faith, join me in praying that He would do an even deeper work than before, and allow Him to have His way, by His spirit. Let’s come to Him with open and soft hearts and ask Him to take away all the obstacles that get in the way including unhealthy thinking and habits. And let’s not quench what He started – for His work is so good, and results in a flame more beautiful and bright than we can ever imagine!
Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”