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- Apr 25, 2006
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Into The Fire
'He will sit as a refiner ... of silver' Malachi 3:3
With a strong grip, the refiner keeps his tongs in the fire, clutching that piece of metal. The scum on the bottom rises, every impurity is burnt away. Until finally, his keen eye examines every inch of the silver, so clean the creator can now see his own face gleam back in the reflection.
Malachi hints that troubles and life's mess can be used to help us clean up our acts. It's tempting to think that when the heat is turned up in our lives it's somehow punishment for some wrong we've done. However it could be exactly the opposite.
We pray to be more like Jesus, so God turns on the furnaces to burn away all our impurities. Often a tough time in life is followed by a great opportunity for serving God. Why? Because God has used your problem to get you ready for His service.
There's nothing like a spot of bother to draw you closer to God. The challenge is to see beyond the problem.
The worst thing the prodigal son could have done was made his bed and draw his curtains in the pigsty. He wasn't made for life as a pig - he just had to experience life at the bottom in order to look to the top.
Maybe you're in the fire now: hurting, melting, burning. The refiner's fire is not to be avoided. To escape it is to escape your destiny and to escape God. Hold on, you'll soon be reflecting the face of God with your life.
written by Bob Gass
'He will sit as a refiner ... of silver' Malachi 3:3
With a strong grip, the refiner keeps his tongs in the fire, clutching that piece of metal. The scum on the bottom rises, every impurity is burnt away. Until finally, his keen eye examines every inch of the silver, so clean the creator can now see his own face gleam back in the reflection.
Malachi hints that troubles and life's mess can be used to help us clean up our acts. It's tempting to think that when the heat is turned up in our lives it's somehow punishment for some wrong we've done. However it could be exactly the opposite.
We pray to be more like Jesus, so God turns on the furnaces to burn away all our impurities. Often a tough time in life is followed by a great opportunity for serving God. Why? Because God has used your problem to get you ready for His service.
There's nothing like a spot of bother to draw you closer to God. The challenge is to see beyond the problem.
The worst thing the prodigal son could have done was made his bed and draw his curtains in the pigsty. He wasn't made for life as a pig - he just had to experience life at the bottom in order to look to the top.
Maybe you're in the fire now: hurting, melting, burning. The refiner's fire is not to be avoided. To escape it is to escape your destiny and to escape God. Hold on, you'll soon be reflecting the face of God with your life.
written by Bob Gass
