The
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary
defines the word “refine” as follows:
to free from impurities or unwanted material;
to free from moral imperfection;
to improve or perfect by pruning or polishing
How
does our Lord God “refine” His people?
He tells us in Isaiah 48:10, “Behold, I have refined you…; I have tested
you in the furnace of affliction.” Why does the Lord refine His people? “…For My (the Lord’s) own sake, for My own sake,
I will do it…” (Isaiah 48:11a)
And what is the blessing of His refinement? “…We went through fire and water; but You
brought us out to rich fulfillment.”
(Psalm 66:12b)
Our
reactions to the fires of life – “the furnace of affliction” – often expose
impurities that exist within us. God
does not expose “moral imperfection” to condemn us, but rather to reveal our
need for His forgiveness; to reveal our need for His transforming power through
the Holy Spirit; to reveal our need for His grace to remedy our reactions – to
respond to our afflictions in a way that brings Him honor and glory for the
sake of those around us.
Through
fire, we are made holy – separated from sin to a life of holiness. Through pruning, we are set free from the
restrictions of sin and enabled to flourish and bear spiritual fruit. Through polishing, we become a reflection of
the beauty and nature of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:6-7
In
this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have
been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of
your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is
tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of
Jesus Christ.
Suggested
Prayer
My
Lord, I praise You, for You are like a refiner’s fire (Malachi 3:2)! I thank You for loving me enough to cleanse,
break, prune, polish and set me ablaze to purify me of moral imperfection. I thank You that every affliction or trial
you call me to walk through is meant for my good and for Your glory! I thank You for Your forgiveness that heals
me; for Your power that strengthens me; and for Your grace that anchors me in
the midst of any storm. Thank You for
sculpting and perfecting me through the living, corrective work of Your
Word! My Lord, I pray when affliction
comes that Your Spirit would drive Me to Your Word for resilience and drive me
to prayer for assurance and confidence in Your never-failing love for me. When I am walking through the fire and cannot
see You through the smoke, let the fire of faith burn even hotter within my
spirit. May my faith be found to praise,
honor, and glory at the revelation of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
And
it is in His name, I pray…Amen.
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