Ephesians 4:26-27 – "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. (NIV)

In 2023, wildfires burned out of control in many parts of Canada. One such fire near the town of Fort Nelson in northern British Columbia destroyed thousands of forested acres. As winter arrived, the fires disappeared from view; they went underground. With the reappearance of spring and frost-free ground, however, the blazes surged to the surface and once again burned out of control.

This event reminds me of the fires which can burn deep within our hearts: fires of anger, hatred, pain, jealousy, and envy; fires kindled in our lives by various events or people; fires that we buried, for whatever reason, letting the sun go down upon them, instead of dousing them through the power of God's wisdom, love, and forgiveness.

The problem with burying such fires, however, is that we never know when they will make a resurgence within our lives, and when they do, the secondary blaze is often worse than the original one, for it has had time to fester and grow within our hearts. We have, in fact, given the devil time to stoke those fires, as we have secretly mulled them over in our minds, allowing ourselves to become more and more indignant, bitter, and even set upon getting revenge.

These inner blazes are very dangerous, for they damage us spiritually and emotionally. Left unconfronted, they become sin, and sin separates us from God. Even for Christians who are forgiven for their sin — past, present, and future — buried sin still blocks believers' full relationship with our heavenly Father. Sin blocks the Holy Spirit from moving freely within our lives, and the abundant life that Christ wants us to experience is diminished bit by bit as our underground fire continues to smolder and burn.

King David was well aware of the dangers and pitfalls of buried sin when he penned these words:

Psalm 32:3-5 – When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord" — and you forgave the guilt of my sin. (NIV)

Do you have wrongful fires burning within your heart today, things you have sought to bury rather than confessing them for the sin that they are? If so, take heed from the psalmist. Confess them to the Lord and allow Him to help you to douse them with His love and forgiveness, once and for all. Pray with me:

Prayer: Lord God, search me and know me. If there be any sinful fire buried within my heart, draw it forth that I might deal with it forever, together. In Christ's name, I pray. Amen.