Praise GOD for the wonders of life He bestows on us. The refiner’s fire is a extremely hot place. Has the Lord placed you there yet? Keep reading for some great soul medicine!
Today’s Prayer
Dear Lord, I want to abide in You as You abide in me, to “live in the Spirit.” As I cannot bear fruit of myself, unless I abide in You. You are the vine, I am a branch. I want to bear much fruit for You, for without You, I can do nothing. I do not want to wither and be useless. If I abide in You, and Your Words abide in me, I may ask what I desire, and it shall be done for Me, because when I abide in You and You in me, my will aligns with Your will for me. By this You are glorified, that I bear much fruit.” (based on John 14:4-5, 7-8) Thank You Master Gardener, for pruning me and nourishing me and providing light that I may grow and be healthy. In the matchless name of Jesus, Amen.
Let’s eat.
A Refiner’s Fire
I went back in the archives for 16 years for the message today.
For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. – Malachi 3:2
The Lord has a specific manner of preparing His people for useful service. God desires to turn His children from rough, hard-edged stones into gems of gold and silver.
He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years (Malachi 3:3-4).
The refiner’s fire can only accomplish its purposes when the heat is turned up to extraordinary temperatures. It breaks down the metal in order for it to become moldable and shapeable. Only when the temperatures reach this level can the work be fully accomplished. So it is in our lives.
Until the Lord completes His refining process, the offerings we make are not made in righteousness and cannot be acceptable. Thank God that Jesus is our righteousness and that there is no righteousness apart from Him. Still, the Lord continues to purge all that is not of His righteousness out of our lives. This comes through trials that bring each of us to the end of ourselves in order that He may only reflect that which is Himself.
When God takes you through the refiner’s fire, be encouraged because it is His overriding commitment to turn you from a rough, hard-edged stone to a precious metal. He will do this through certain events in your workplace, your relationships, and other circumstances in your life. Our job is to avoid trying to blow out the fire.
Quote of the Day
Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. (ISAIAH 48:10)