Malachi 3:3 "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
Daniel 11:35 "Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time."
1Peter 4:13 "But rejoice in the degree that you have shared in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice and be glad."
1Peter 1:7 "Such trials show the proven character of your faith, which is much more valuable than gold – gold that is tested by fire, even though it is passing away – and will bring praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."
I wanted to share with you an excerpt from a book I read this morning.
"The Lord is my pace setter...I shall not rush.
He makes me stop for quiet intervals.
He provides me with images of stillness which restore my serenity.
He leads me in the way of efficiency through calmness of mind and his guidance is peace.
Even though I have great many things to accomplish each day, I will not fret, for his presence is here.
His timelessness, his all importance will keep me in balance.
He prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of my activity by anointing my mind with his oils of tranquility.
My cup of joyous energy overflows.
Truly harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruits of my hours for I shall walk in the Pace of my Lord and dwell in His house forever."
Isn't it so typical of us, when worries and uncertainties arise, to quicken the pace? My first instinct is to rush God along to a conclusion: "I need some answers, Lord! I need some confirmation! I need some direction." I start looking up verses upon verses, quoting every single one of them that talks about His leading me, His plans for me. I begin "reminding" Him of the words he spoke about guidance, trying to jolt His memory as if he's forgotten. In all of my good intentions, and desire to hear a definite direction from the Lord, I seemed to have forgotten His ultimate purpose in my life: refining.
As a silversmith holds a medallion over a fire, in order to achieve the perfect piece of jewelry, there is one goal he has in mind to be sure he has achieved perfection. The fire is hot, sweltering even. If it remains in the fire too long, it will be ruined. If it spends too little time in the fire, the outcome wouldn't be as he envisioned. The silversmith's goal is to see his reflection, and he alone knows when the time is right, because he is constantly watching, waiting for his reflection to appear. The medallion is still, in the silversmith's firm grasp, but it is conforming. In the end, after the refining, it will be as the silversmith originally planned for it to look like. Isn't that God's promise to us? Isn't that what He has in mind when He wants to "conform us to His image?"
If you are facing doubts right now, if you are wavering in your direction, if you feel as if the Lord is far away, if you feel like the fires and trials of life will overtake you at this moment, remember whose hands you are in. He is the Lord of the Process. He is committed to your growth more than your comfort. Sometimes, only times of uncertainty will bring out the impurities in us that would've laid dormant if not for the refining fires of life.
I want to encourage you to let the Lord be your "pace setter." If I am daily yoked to Him, I will always be behind Him, letting Him set my pace. Don't try and get ahead of Him. Don't try and figure it out. Trust in who He is. He knows that refining is a process. It takes a few cycles of heating and cooling that silver to reach it's ultimate potential. It takes seasons of trials and uncertainty to refine us into His image. Instead of fretting over the path we are to take, let's just shift our focus. Let's remember who God is and trust that this time too shall pass. And when it does, we will be one step closer to mirroring God's reflection in our lives.
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