REFINER
AND PURIFIER!
Mal
3:3
3
And
he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons
of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord
an offering in righteousness.
The
sons of Levi comprised the priesthood. They represented God to the people –
and the people to God. Their office and duties were a series of sacrifices and
cleansing. Ritual washings were their constant tasks. Why? Because God is holy
and righteous altogether.
Silver
and gold,
in their raw and natural state, are mixed with many other substances. Carved
out of the rock, they may actually represent a small part to the ore. Taken
from the earth, the ore is beaten and then heated so that it releases its metal
in pure form. It is then poured into molds and polished before it finally
becomes what it was intended to be.
Believers
often wonder why God allows them to endure such hardships. It is because
God sees in us a beautiful vessel. He digs us out of the dirt and cleans us up.
Then he beats us to remove large portions of useless things. Finally He
subjects us to immense pressure until only that which is precious emerges.
Perhaps
today you are being hammered and heated. You look skyward and cry that it is
more than you can bear but you can’t see what God sees. He is doing a work in
you. Be patient! You will soon be not only useful but beautiful.
Isa
48:10
10
Behold,
I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of
affliction.
Job
23:10
10
But
he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as
gold.
Dear
Lord, you see me more clearly than I can ever see myself. Sustain me in the
heat and pressure of trials so that I may come forth as gold. AMEN
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