Set a Fire Down in my Soul

No Place I'd rather be

No Place I'd rather be

No place I'd rather be

Here in your Love,

Here in your love

Set a Fire Down in my Soul

That I cant contain that I cant control

I want more of you God

I want more of you God

The instant sound of these lyrics have the ability to capture and calm my heart unlike any other song. 

I have gone through literally ever season with this song. The good, the bad, and the ugly of life have heard me proclaiming, crying out, and craving for these words. Through every single season this song has been my constant reminder to me of how Jesus is the only one who can truly love and fill me

.

The first time I heard this song was about a month into my freshman year of college. I was a new Christian almost 2,000 miles away from everything I knew, and felt completely alone. Although I had people who wanted to love and pursue me I did not realize it, and instead allowed a rough rooming situation to dictate who I was in people’s eyes on campus. After a bad night of being verbally abused by my suitemate I left and sat in the prayer chapel crying out to Jesus; searching for answers of why he had placed me away from everything I knew and felt comfortable around. As I was praying two boys with guitars came in, and began doing worship. The first song they sang was ‘Set a Fire’, although I had never heard it before, I began singing with them and could not escape the overwhelming sense of comfort that the words brought.

Fast forwarding to the following semester, I allowed myself to get involved with a boy and our relationship progressed quickly-- and only a few weeks into our “relationship” we fell into sexual temptation. I was so disgusted and ashamed of myself, and felt so far from God. I also thought that since everyone around me thought of me as a “good Christian girl”, if they found out whom I was behind closed doors they would be repulsed. I was afraid of losing the image I worked so hard to gain. During this time my friend Liz invited me to Renew Worship Night, and I went, because that would be what any good Christian girl would do—but I came literally right from a hook-up session. During Renew, I put my best Christianese on, because I wanted everyone to think I was doing so well with Jesus. I was doing real well too, all until the lyrics of ‘Set a Fire’ began being sang. I started balling. Like a freaking baby. I knew where I wanted to be. I knew who I wanted to find my value in. I knew who I loved more than anything else on planet Earth. WITH JESUS. Then Liz started praying over me, and the words she said were words that could not have come from any of her knowledge. Then our other friend Stephanie started praying as well, and they were the same. Then Zack started praying. And then Connor. The words which they spoke confirmed freedom, of redemption. I was a hot mess. But not because I was guilty anymore, but instead because I knew I was loved and I knew where I wanted to be. I was loved and wanted not because of what I had or had not done; I was loved because I was HIS. 

This past summer, I worked at a camp and was constantly pouring into middle and high school girls. It was beautiful, but man was it draining. It was in the middle of the summer that I hit my hardest bump. I was sent to our sister camp to work a junior-camp week, and wanted nothing more than to be done. I was surrounded by unfamiliar, was over the abundant boy-drama, sass, and cattiness—and thought my influence was doing nothing. I didn’t have faith that Jesus would intervene in the ciaos, even though I had seen Him every week previously. It was the evening of the second to last night and because one of my girls was having issues, she and I were late to the evening fireside service, and therefore had to stand in the back without the rest of our cabin. And then… (you know what is coming), ‘Set a Fire’ began being played by the worship band. This was one of the first times I had heard the song all summer, and by the second or third chorus the majority of the room of 10-13 year olds had erupted into singing the song which meant so much to me. And the thing was, so many of these kids desperately meant what they were singing. They wanted His love. They wanted to be in His arms. The girl who was next to me, whom had been having issues all week, even began singing and her childlike faith was so apparent. I was once again reminded that the only place I need to be was in Jesus’ arms, and the rest of the pieces will come together out of Him. 

Tonight as I have this track on replay, I am amazed by his love. I am reminded that I want to be deeper with him than I was last year, last month, last week, last sentence. I just want to be consumed by Him. I want to feel depths of Him that have felt unreachable before. There is no place I’d rather be.