Someone to Lead Us Through the Fire

Since my husband is a firefighter, he often comes home telling me stories. Some of these stories make me laugh, some make cry, and some make me gasp. One particular story lately has reminded me both of the brevity of life (his in particular) and of the importance of having a strong leader when fighting a fire. 

It is imperative, when fighting a fire, to have someone with a different perspective in command of the situation. The "incident command" (IC) is in charge of keeping the big picture in mind. This person of authority remains in a position where he or she can view the entire scene and make decisions that may make the difference between life and death for his or her crew. 

The reason the IC exists is that in the (literal) heat of the moment, firefighters may not be able to make objective decisions about whether or not a scene is safe or about what should be done. Since the IC can see the big picture, firefighters inside a burning building depend on him or her to help them make decisions. The firefighters don't question the command "Get out!" or "Redirect," no matter how crazy it may seem, because they know the IC can see more than they can. He or she can see dangers that may be invisible to them. It's also important for firefighters to keep a clear line of communication open so that they won't miss vital information.

Our lives are like a firefighting scene: this world is like a burning house. We have dangers all around us, some of which we cannot see. God is our IC. He can see the whole picture from a completely different perspective than we can. If God says "Get out!" of a situation that may seem safe to us, He knows something we don't. If He asks us to change direction, He may have a better plan for how we can succeed in life. It might seem arbitrary or even crazy to us, but someday in Heaven, when we can seen things from His point of view, His reasons will be clear. Likewise, it is vital that we stay in touch with our IC (God) through prayer and His Word so we do not miss His guidance at pivotal points in our lives.

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” John 13:7