Malachi 3:2-3 New Living Translation (NLT) “But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes. He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross…
Psalm 66:10 For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined.
When you place the silver in the furnace and turn up the heat, that is when the impurities come to the surface. Isn’t that the same with us? It is in those intense moments that the dross in our character shows up. The job just isn’t going right, problem after problem, and now it starts cutting into the profits. All you need is for that one employee to start pushing your buttons again and then Wham! You lose your temper and give them a good piece of your mind. Even though we cannot really afford to give out any more pieces- we still do. How about those disagreements with the wife? It is one of those hot button issues she brings up again that you would rather not deal with, especially after a rough day. And what comes out of you when she keeps pushing the issue? Is it pretty?
It is in the heat of the furnace that what lies buried in ourselves tends to come out. Sometimes we are even surprised at ourselves that the old man is still in there. But God sees, He knows what lurks beneath the surface even if we don’t see it. God knows that if He leaves that flaw, that dross in our character it will come up in the worse time. So, He prepares us for the future and forces us to deal with the dross that comes up from the heat of the furnace. God brings it to the surface so He can remove it. Do not be discourage brothers when the ugliness of the dross comes out, God is at work. But for our part we need to recognize the dross is in us and come into agreement with the Lord to allow Him to purify us. Be holy for I am Holy says the LORD (1 Peter 1:16). In humility, in prayer, in repentance, the Lord refines us. And the silver is ready when the silversmith can see his reflection in the molten metal. And even so, we also are ready for service and deeper fellowship with the Lord Jesus, as the Father sees the image of His Son in us.
2 Corinthians 3:18 Amplified Bible (AMP) 18 And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.
The furnace is not a comfortable place; it is not meant to be. But as we allow the Lord to do the work in us, we will be increasingly purified from one degree of glory to the next. As we continue on in the Lord, we will find that there will be times when we are in the furnace and we don’t respond in ugliness, but in a temperate and humble spirit. We stand in awe at those times at the work of progress that God has done in us by His grace. We have reached then one plateau of glory and can look forward to God bringing us to the next level. As we draw ever nearer to Him in the fellowship of His Son.
Have a blessed week brothers,
Bruce