Friction

I got burned a few weeks ago.  It was a pretty bad burn.  Who knew a heating pad could do that much damage?  I did.  But I wasn't really paying attention to anything but how good my muscles felt.  When the blister showed up the next morning, I was a bit surprised, because I didn't remember the heat getting that "hot". 

The burn is still healing. I learned a little about burn treatments, though.  Did you know that it's not good to layer them with things like triple-antibiotic, or other ointments?  My research told me that these ointments can actually cause infection.  Instead, for my burn, I learned to keep it dry, try to keep it clean, and just put cotton bandages over the burn.  Of course, I'm no doctor, and you shouldn't take this as any advice of such. 

What I'm realizing is that even after the healing, the burn is going to leave a big mark.  From pictures, I think it was probably a second-degree burn, and these burns are deep. Without ointment, it's going to leave a scar for sure. 

My thoughts wandered to heat today after a twinge of pain from my burn.  It made me think of the elements of heat and how heat is created.  From what I understand, heat is created by friction, and the resulting energy.  (I'm no scientist - just some memories from elementary school science classes...)

And then I thought of this....

How often am I burned by God? 

Ouch.  A hurtful thing, so it seems. 

But think about it, getting burned by God means that we've spent time with Him - enough to create the friction needed to cause heat strong enough to leave a mark.  Am I spending enough time with God to be permanently marked by my interaction with Him?

Remember the story of Jacob "wrestling" with God?  He got burned.  It's a pretty neat story....

This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break.  When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob's hip and wrenched it out of its socket.  Then the man said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!"

But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."

"What is your name?" the man asked.

He replied, "Jacob."

"Your name will no longer be Jacob," the man told him.  "From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won."

"Please tell me your name," Jacob said.

"Why do you want to know my name?"  the man replied.  Then he blessed Jacob there.

Jacob named the place Peniel (which means "face of God"), for he said, "I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared."

Genesis 32:24-30

I don't know what Jacob was wrestling with God for that night, but I know he was close enough to do so.  And his actions earned him favor with God.  So his "burn" was a very positive thing.  In fact, an entire nation was renamed because of it. 

My challenge here is this: am I being burned by God?  What future nations are hoping for a God-changed destiny?  Am I doing what I need to do to be burned?

And I hope you find this as a good challenge as well.  Let's live for His glory always.  There's nothing better.