We think of the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying cute and mute in a manger, when in fact we know that the voice of the mature messiah rises up to challenge all that we stand for. His word is like a purifying fire that can blast away all that is shallow or superficial in our hearts, producing a people of much stronger mettle. Though we might choose an easier way, still in all honesty we know that the deepest truths do not emerge from the lap of luxury and ease. It's often the most difficult and trying experiences of life that have the most lasting effect. I now realize you can't live with so many easy assumptions.
Life is too short.
While we've got the chance, we've got to find something solid. In the midst of life's greatest trials, aware of the frailty of our lives, the images painted by the prophets of old do not seem an exaggeration at all. God is a refining fire and we do need something solid to stand on. The fierce and fiery God of the Bible presents many problems on a theological plane. But this God is solid.