In a previous meditation I mentioned consecrating every pain and such to God to be transformed into a made-worthy setting for the pure gold of tested faith. I still agree with myself about that but the wonderful Holy Spirit continues to give me deeper insight. This is the route my thoughts are taking.
Faith is God’s gift (Ephesians 2:8) to me – a gift of gold and I can use it as I choose. I can use it to pray for blessings – good days – needs met – convenience, etc. for myself. But how can I use it – what has to happen – before God can purify and actually make my faith pure gold? REFINING FIRE! OK. – now – let me think and consider. My physical pain, my disappointments and emotional griefs, the unpleasant and disturbing situations, etc. If I ask God to – relieve this – heal that – change those - - could I actually be rejecting the Refiner’s fire – which is my greatest and essential need in order to mine for pure gold faith – the quality of faith I long for – the faith that will not be daunted come hell or high water.
Why did Isaac not scream and struggle (Genesis 22:9) to get off the altar? Because you can really trust a person who really trusts God.
Listen to (Job 23:10) when He has tried me – gold! What does TRIED mean? Refining!
Listen to Peter (1 Peter 1:7) trial of faith more precious than gold? What does TRIAL mean? Refining!
Where did my initial faith come from? From God of course. I see that I have nothing to give God except what He has already given me. Whatever it is, as I give it back to God – I am co-operating with Him for the fulfillment of His purpose for which He gave it to me in the first place. I would not even have a body (Romans 12:1) to present to God if He had not created it and ordained for me to live in it. Have I actually prayed away some of God’s purposes for me by prayers of self-consideration and not even seeing the possibilities of gold? Some God-given opportunities only come once and if refused are lost to us forever. Whereby robbing myself and God. Free will can be as terrifying as it is magnificent. Everything God sends and/or allows in my life – He can use for refining. My part is to accept everything including the hurtful things and give them freely (no strings) to God for His use in any way that will make His purpose and design to be accomplished in my life to His satisfaction. I pray that even the slightest desire for the relieving of the elements of refining would be nailed to the cross. If I deeply embrace God’s purpose there will never be a time or condition in which I cannot be thankful.
Let me choose to be a trusting one. When I feel the burning heat of the Refiner’s fire – not give way to self-pity – but with the cords of determined faith (Psalms 118:27) bind myself as tightly as Isaac to the altar.
We have all heard of fool’s gold. That is what a person gets who, in his blind, arrogant poverty, thinks He knows better than God and that His own way is more beneficial to him than God’s way.
As Paul said (2 Corinthians 12:9) I gladly accept my infirmities because God’s grace is sufficient, His strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I don’t have to live my life in the failure of my own power but I can live my life victoriously in the power of Christ through the Holy Spirit.
The Lord will (Malachi 3:2-3) refine them with fire – like gold – so that they may offer to the Lord offerings in righteousness. I want the highest quality of pure gold faith so that God will be glorified. After all – it’s not about me. It’s all about Jesus and my desire and prayer is that He will have (Colossians 1:18) the pre-eminence in every aspect and detail of my life. If that is true – what right or reason would I have to complain about anything? - - ???
I know that God has all wisdom and all power and I also know that He loves me. Knowing these 3 facts of eternal truth - - could I ever be so foolish as not to trust Him? At Calvary we look up at Jesus on the Cross and trust Him for our ETERNAL salvation. It’s not even logical that I would not trust Him for the TEMPORARY things – all of them – whether hurtful or otherwise in my life on earth.
These lesser tools of refining can be good preparation for the possibility of coming persecution. We need to be alert to the times. I don’t know what the future holds but I do know that my Sovereign God holds the future and I also know that He holds my hand. There is no safer place to be than in God’s will.
Surrender to the Refiner’s fire removes every hindrance to God’s will in my life.
Surrender to the Refiner’s fire brings beauty for ashes.
My advice? Love Him, Trust Him, Obey Him and leave all the consequences to Him.
Why does God love us so very much? Because He created us in His own image. Although that image has been defaced – God saw in Jesus what we would have been – and because of Jesus – God sees us as we will be when we are perfectly restored to His Divine Image – and that will be (1 John 3:2) when we see Jesus
Truly, truly – it’s all about Jesus!
Oh Jesus blest Redeemer,
Sent from the heart of God,
Hold us who wait before Thee
Near to the heart of God.
As the love of the Refiner’s fire burns me - - - may my heart burn with love for Jesus.
