Hebrews 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.

Certainly, God consumed the rebellious in the Old Testament.
However, I don’t think today’s verse is directly connected to those actions.
You don’t see the fire of God coming down from heaven and consuming thousands of people.
And there is scriptural evidence of the use of fire as punishment for the unrepentant unbelievers on Judgment Day.
But I don’t think today’s verse is about that either.
In all ways, God is a consuming fire.
His word burns at our hearts.
Some find this uncomfortable and run away while others give into the salvation His word offers.
His holiness burns our unholiness.
His love burns our lust.
His giving burns our greed.
His blessings burn our curses.
Fire consumes the temporal and temporary and purifies the enduring.
A consuming fire is not a bad thing when you allow it to burn the worthless parts of your life, while it purifies and cleanses you.