![]() ![]() Hold on to the truth that nothing God allows us to go through is pointless. These growth opportunities will grow us … if we let them.įriend, whatever is causing you pain, suffering, discomfort or anxiety, you will survive this and come out on the other side. But is it worth the discomfort to reflect our Creator beautifully and have lives that point hearts toward Him? I truly believe so. They are purifying and smoothing us so we will reflect Him. He allows the heating and shaping, the abrasive rubs and polishing in our lives, for a reason. Oh, how I pray this will stir our hearts to trust God in the midst of our troubles. For the silversmith to put his name on a piece, the silver had to submit to treatment we might say is harsh and cruel.īut every painful blow the silver endures … every scorching second it sits in the fire … each moment has great purpose. There was pounding, turning, heating, and then even more pounding before the polishing. We saw firsthand how the magnificently beautiful pieces in the showroom had to undergo a grueling process in the workroom. I saw such a vivid depiction of this when I took my children to a silversmith’s workshop when they were younger. And today's Bible passage reminds us that sometimes the sanctification process involves suffering. That’s why God designed His purification process to remove our impurity and restore our ability to reflect the goodness of God Himself.Īnother name for this refining work is “sanctification.” It’s the Lord’s continual process of making us holy and wholly set apart for Him. But when sin entered the world, we were marred by sin. Genesis 1:27 tells us God created us in His likeness and image. This is what we were made to do - clearly reflect the image of our Maker. He knows the dross has all burnt away when he can see himself clearly. The way a refiner knows that the process of purification is complete is by looking into the open furnace and checking whether he can see his reflection in the metal. Impurities rise to the top, where they can be skimmed off and discarded. And the refiner’s fire? This is a method of purifying precious metals with intense heat. Malachi 3:2 reveals that the Lord comes both “like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap” (ESV).įullers’ soap (or alkali) was a strong soap used in the Ancient Near East to whiten clothing. But that means our own hearts need to be purified so we can mature in our calling (James 1:4). Now, all of us who place our faith in Jesus are the messengers God has called to prepare people for His second coming. The word “messenger” in this passage actually refers to John the Baptist (Matthew 11:10-14), who went before Jesus to prepare the people’s hearts for Jesus’ first coming. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD” (Malachi 3:1-3, ESV). But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers’ soap. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. The Lord declared through the prophet Malachi: “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. In Malachi 3, God wanted His people to know He cared about their character: Which brings us to a passage of Scripture I’d love to look at closely together today. The growth opportunities remind me God is interested in my character more than my comfort. This gives me a chance to recognize that God is shaping and molding me to fit the calling He's given me. I’m learning, though, to start trying to view troubles as growth opportunities. It’s not that I go looking for problems they just seem to be incredibly adept at finding me. There are times when it feels like I hardly get one issue resolved when another seems to pop up. “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.” Malachi 3:3 (ESV)ĭo the battles in your life sometimes feel constant? You Will Survive This and Come Out on the Other Side ![]()
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