The Refiner's Fire
But seek first HIS kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33 NIV
I remember one night in my prison cell when I was reading the Bible. I was in the book of Psalms:
Praise our GOD, O peoples, let the sound of HIS praise be heard; He has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For YOU, O GOD, tested us; YOU REFINED like silver. YOU brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. YOU let men ride over our heads; we went THROUGH FIRE and WATER, but YOU brought us to a place of ABUNDANCE. Psalm 66: 8-12 NIV
Wow! I felt GOD speak directly to my heart. I wanted to know what being refined like silver meant. I also wanted to know this place of abundance that GOD was speaking about. As I went about my studies to find out how silver is refined, I found some information written by Lynette Woods to help me understand the process:
Silver, gold and other precious jewels are used throughout the Bible to symbolize aspects of GOD and HIS nature in HIS people. Pure silver is malleable and ductile and is the best conductor of heat and electricity out of all metals and it does not corrode. It must be refined and purified by fire in order to get rid of all impurities before it can be used and formed into an instrument. Silver is first crushed and ground then goes through processes of having water, lime and acid added before getting to the refining of fire.
I thought to myself, this is what you have to go through GOD to get to a place of abundance! I kept on with my studies and found another writing from an unknown author. Then a unknown author wrote this:
A silversmith was holding a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained to a woman who was watching him that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were the hottest as to burn away all impurities. The woman thought about GOD holding us in such a hot spot, then she thought about the verse in Malachi 3:3 that says “He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.”
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment to long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “ How do you know when the silver if fully refined?” He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy-when I see my image in it.”
To be refined like silver is a painful but loving process if you are willing to trust GOD through HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. I had to lay down my life which also meant all the impurities that came along with it.
As I kept reading Psalm 66:10-12 NIV, GOD was letting me know my time spent in prison would be a time of testing and refining. Through the pain of real life situations GOD would bring out in my life real spiritual growth. A part of my spiritual growth was to let go and give GOD all my anger, hurt and pain. When I did this, GOD showed me a how to forgive my uncle who molested me and my step father Dennis, who abused us verbally and physically. This is the very place in which I came to have a closer relationship with HIM, a place of ABUNDANCE.
Keith Little wrote this:
When we suffer or experience pain in our lives as a Christian it is easy to fall away from GOD. It’s easy to embrace the temporary comforts of this world. When Job in the Bible experienced suffering, his friends tried to comfort him with bad, worldly advice. When Abraham in the Bible thought the promises of GOD would never be fulfilled, he tried to take things in his own hands. But if we simply endure the pain and the suffering, we will reach a land of ABUNDANCE and seeing ourselves incredible spiritual growth and closeness with GOD.
It isn’t easy to live month after month with a hurting heart, but GOD is sovereign and good. GOD brings us through refining fires but HE is there, at every moment with us, and knows what we are going through. HE gives us burdens to teach us and disciple us, not because HE is a GOD who wishes to punish HIS children of inflict pain of us. All our suffering is intended to produce a harvest of righteousness later on in our lives (Hebrews 12:11-12). What we have now may be difficult to deal with but it will be pale in comparison to what we’re going to receive. We need to recognize why we experience what we experience. We need to praise GOD who is leading us through all of it. (Psalm 66:1-12). We need to live with the promise in our heart that this is all for good.
In your pain and suffering, in your life that you cannot understand, rely on GOD, because GOD is testing you and refining you. HE is crafting you into HIS IMAGE. And though you may be experiencing terrible things, GOD is a GOD of LOVE and HE is bringing you through all of this so that you will see a better country up ahead. ABUNDANCE! Somewhere up ahead. I know that we will see it someday soon.”
I know what it is to go through the FIRE and WATER. I had every material and worldly item under the sun. As Solomon said “ I count it meaningless.” I now have a peace that surpasses all understanding. A place of ABUNDANCE by THE LOVE OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS.
Stand firm while your being refined, you too will come to find HIS place of ABUNDANCE.
GOD BLESS you