Refiners 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." Zechariah13:9

Have you ever gone through something so difficult and painful that it left you in a pit so deep that you could'nt see the light? Because we serve such a loving God we may wonder why Christians suffer? According to the Bible, "The Lord tests our hearts." (Proverbs 17:3). We may ask ourselves; "Where is the God of justice?" The Bible clearly teaches that God loves those who are His children, and "God works for the good of those who love him." (Romans 8:28). Many a life has come forth from the furnace of affliction more beautiful than before. A refiner's fire refines. It purifies. It melts down the gold, separates out the impurities, burns them up, and leaves the gold intact. So it is with God when He refines us. This is such a beautiful word of hope. Just when you think you can stand no more, God reaches down into the pit and lovingly lifts you out. How do you know when the gold is fully refined? When you see the image of God staring back at you.

"But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold" Job 23:10

Sweetest Blessings,

Jo