Isaiah 1:31 – Kindling

Daily Devotional Bible Verse

And the strong shall become tinder,
and his work a spark,
and both of them shall burn together,
with none to quench them. (Isaiah 1:31 ESV)

Humankind is possessed of a self-destructive bent. We consistently over-indulge in lifestyles and behaviors that will ultimately bring about our demise (i.e. addiction to drugs, alcohol, smoking, deviant sexual activity).

When we live life outside of God’s will and companionship, many of us follow our sinful tendency of utter selfishness. We live and work for ourselves, and essentially pursue first and foremost that which will bring us pleasure.

In a sense, what Isaiah was so eloquently speaking of here is that when we live worshipping ourselves or idols, we become kindling, and everything we put our hand to acts like a spark. This epitomizes the destructive nature of sin, that we would labor toward the very thing that will destroy us! It’s like a full gas can and playing with matches.

Be weary then, for though sinful living can be immediately gratifying, our adversary the devil “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Living in habitual sin and disregard of the Lord will bring about our ultimate judgment, and there will be no one “to quench” the agony of eternal separation from God.

Do you live selfishly in service of only your pleasure?