Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - Fireproof Faithfulness - #6360

Friday, May 27, 2011

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The summer of '88 might seem like a long time ago, but man, it left an indelible mark on Yellowstone National Park. Forest fires ravaged our national treasure. As you know, it left behind thousands of acres of charred landscape, displaced animals, dead animals. In fact, the fire almost reached that famous geyser called Old Faithful. It came very, very close to it.

There's a historic inn right nearby where people have stayed for almost a hundred years, and it was rescued from the wall of flames that was closing in on it, but it was close. A lot changed dramatically at Yellowstone when the fires hit. One thing didn't. No matter how hot the fire got, no matter how close; no matter what else was destroyed, Old Faithful went off right on time every day. The fire just could not affect her performance for one very simple reason.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Fireproof Faithfulness."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from John 4 , the familiar story of Jesus talking to the woman of Samaria who has tried so many ways and so many men to fill that aching void in her life. They both meet at the same well for a drink on a hot afternoon and Jesus says to her, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water." I think we were just talking about that a moment ago, but it was a geyser, right? "...a spring of water" (in this case) "welling up to eternal life."

Jesus says, "I want to put in your life...In fact, I want to make you a faithful fountain and we'll be able to handle any fire, any storm, any hurt, any disappointment. Oh, you'll still be able to perform even with the fire closing in around you because of two words." He says, "I will put the source in him...that's inside of you." That's opposed to just being something around you.

Old Faithful - that geyser that continued to function no matter how hot the fire got or how close, well, her source is underground and the fire cannot touch that source. Now, when you have Christ living in you and you're counting on Him - not on yourself - you believe He's your source of strength, you become an Old Faithful, or maybe a young faithful. See, your source is where it can't be touched. No depression, no bankruptcy, no lost job, no illness, no personal loss can touch that source of your strength because it's in you where it can't be touched.

Jesus spoke to a woman here who was depending on a source that she would lose; in her case, the men in her life. She'd been through a lot of guys, but always disappointed. Whenever your identity or your source of strength is something external - something you can lose - you're going to be up and down all the time. Your career can be touched by life's fires, your family can, your income, the body you've worked so hard to develop, your friendships, the person you love - you can lose those. The fire can get to them.

That's why Jesus makes you an offer of something that is everlasting. He said, "This will spring up into something eternal" what I'm about to plant in you, and it will be a life that will begin now but will last through all eternity. He's talking heaven there. Wouldn't this be a good time to open up to Jesus and let Him, and your relationship to Him, be who you are; be where you get your security; where you get your strength. Then you can be steady, you can be consistent no matter how hot the flames.

You say, "Well, Ron, I'm not sure I've ever begun a personal relationship with Jesus." Well, you can. You tell Him today, "Jesus, I'm Yours." Our website is there to help you know you've gotten started with Him. Go there today; check it out. It's YoursForLife.net.

A human "Old Faithful" with Christ as your underground source, you could be counted on to be fireproof faithfulness.