Good morning one and all, this morning my angel of inspiration woke me with a word, refine....refinement...to cleanse and to clean up, to warm with the heat of pressure and circumstance. These are my short definitions but you are welcome to insert your own.
At times people will use the word, "test" because we see it written and used in the Bible and it is a good word to describe a process which involves putting something through experiments of tinsel strength, of durability and use over and over to prove its loyalty to the user. But dare I state here when it comes to human beings, something of flesh and blood, bone and marrow that we need to quantify what the Holy Spirit works inside of us with a different term. Something more gentle, "gentle?" Yes. We are not a pair of shoes nor are we a kitchen pot, we are a lovingly formed creature developed within the palm of the Potter's hand. We are not a tire on a car or a shovel in a coal mine, we are people with hearts and with minds and a will and a soul. The Father's word tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, in today's vernacular we are complicated. I have a few scripture quotes to add here;
Ecclesiasticus chapter 2 verse 5
. 5For gold is tried in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of adversity
1 Peter chapter 1 verse 7
7so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Zechariah chapter 13 verse 9
9This third I will bring through the fire;
I will refine them like silver
and test them like gold.
They will call on My name,
and I will answer them.
I will say, ‘They are My people,’
and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’ ”
You may think I am cherry picking the Word but I seek to save time and to show that either in the Hebrew scriptures (old testament) or in the New Testament the term refinement is used and God's intent is not contingent upon our behavior but upon His promise. In an agreement there are two parties and both agree to do something for the other, there is an exchange. For a person who invites Christ Jesus into their heart to live there forever more Jesus states to us in the gospel of John that wherever He is invited along with the one who sent Him they will come and abide there and the three shall become one. If you called upon Jesus in your hour of need and you were sincere then He took you at your word and He and the Father have come to dwell with you in your heart and they love it there but they have noticed some spring cleaning needs to be done thus the necessity for the refining. You see they like the house but they don't care for the junk furniture you picked up along the road of your life and they are opening the door to your soul and the pressure you feel is them shoving those big ugly pieces out the door of your soul and shoving it to the curb.
Finally in closing I leave you will the book of James, chapter 1 verse 2
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Life brings along its own trials amen? Some we willingly walk into and other situations are brought upon us by outside agents but nevertheless we find ourselves undergoing "Refinement" amen?
Remember, jewelers refine precious stones and precious metals.
You are worth much much more to God than a watch or a neckless, you are worth much more than any of that and He wants to show you off out of love that He has for you . You are being refined, remember that.
