His Purpose
So it's not about me. Duh.
Every time I think I've got that one down, God shows me again that my humanity is still prone to pride and a nasty bit of arrogance. So back in the pot I go. The refiner's pot.
I sat down to read my Bible the other morning wondering what God wanted to show me. I had been praying about blocking my own blessings, and wanting to see God's purpose for allowing me to go through such a long season of diminished health. I know that He has a purpose for all that I face physically and financially.
So it's back in the pot for me. Malachi 3:2-3
2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. 3 He will sit
as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of
Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.[a]
He is a refiner's fire, and that makes all the difference. A refiner's fire does not destroy indiscriminately like a forest fire. A refiner's fire does not consume completely like the fire of an incinerator. A refiner's fire refines. It purifies. It melts down the bar of silver or gold, separates out the impurities that ruin its value, burns them up, and leaves the silver and gold intact. He is like a refiner's fire.
It does say FIRE. And therefore purity and holiness will always be a dreadful thing. There will always be a proper "fear and trembling" in the process of becoming pure. We learn it from the time we are little children: never play with fire! And it's a good lesson! Therefore, Christianity is never a play thing. And the passion for purity is never flippant. He is like fire and fire is serious. You don't fool around with it.
But it does say, he is like a REFINER'S fire. And therefore this is not merely a word of warning, but a tremendous word of hope. The furnace of affliction in the family of God is always for refinement, never for destruction.~ John Piper
Starting to get the picture here. God wants to purify me more. I very arrogantly thought that I was being given an opportunity to witness to a pagan world that desperately needed what I had to offer. My surgeon is lay-minister that is more than capable of witnessing to me. One other of the team members is a church elder that knows God's Word really well and loves God with all his heart. The passage in Malachi describes God's desire for pure worship, pure hearts. God will use what ever fire He desires to refine me.
"A fuller was someone who cleaned and thickened (to make it "full") freshly-woven (usually woolen) cloth. The process involved cleaning, bleaching, wetting and beating the fibers to a consistent and desirable condition. Fuller's earth was a variety of clay that was used to scour and cleanse the cloth. Fuller's soap was an alkali made from plant ashes which was also used to clean and full new cloth. Since fullers required plenty of running water, along with the natural substances described, a fuller's field was a place where all were available for the fullers to conduct their profession."So a relationship with the Lord will act to 'clean, bleach, wet and beat' our spiritual fibers to a 'consistent and desirable condition.' The goal is for us to become 'full'--consistent and desirable. Like the purifying process, it probably isn't much fun at the time, but it works to prepare us to 'make an offering in righteousness' when He arrives.~ Neal Maxwell
Every time I think I've got that one down, God shows me again that my humanity is still prone to pride and a nasty bit of arrogance. So back in the pot I go. The refiner's pot.
I sat down to read my Bible the other morning wondering what God wanted to show me. I had been praying about blocking my own blessings, and wanting to see God's purpose for allowing me to go through such a long season of diminished health. I know that He has a purpose for all that I face physically and financially.
So it's back in the pot for me. Malachi 3:2-3
Malachi 3:2-3(ESV)
He is a refiner's fire, and that makes all the difference. A refiner's fire does not destroy indiscriminately like a forest fire. A refiner's fire does not consume completely like the fire of an incinerator. A refiner's fire refines. It purifies. It melts down the bar of silver or gold, separates out the impurities that ruin its value, burns them up, and leaves the silver and gold intact. He is like a refiner's fire.
It does say FIRE. And therefore purity and holiness will always be a dreadful thing. There will always be a proper "fear and trembling" in the process of becoming pure. We learn it from the time we are little children: never play with fire! And it's a good lesson! Therefore, Christianity is never a play thing. And the passion for purity is never flippant. He is like fire and fire is serious. You don't fool around with it.
But it does say, he is like a REFINER'S fire. And therefore this is not merely a word of warning, but a tremendous word of hope. The furnace of affliction in the family of God is always for refinement, never for destruction.~ John Piper
Starting to get the picture here. God wants to purify me more. I very arrogantly thought that I was being given an opportunity to witness to a pagan world that desperately needed what I had to offer. My surgeon is lay-minister that is more than capable of witnessing to me. One other of the team members is a church elder that knows God's Word really well and loves God with all his heart. The passage in Malachi describes God's desire for pure worship, pure hearts. God will use what ever fire He desires to refine me.
"A fuller was someone who cleaned and thickened (to make it "full") freshly-woven (usually woolen) cloth. The process involved cleaning, bleaching, wetting and beating the fibers to a consistent and desirable condition. Fuller's earth was a variety of clay that was used to scour and cleanse the cloth. Fuller's soap was an alkali made from plant ashes which was also used to clean and full new cloth. Since fullers required plenty of running water, along with the natural substances described, a fuller's field was a place where all were available for the fullers to conduct their profession."So a relationship with the Lord will act to 'clean, bleach, wet and beat' our spiritual fibers to a 'consistent and desirable condition.' The goal is for us to become 'full'--consistent and desirable. Like the purifying process, it probably isn't much fun at the time, but it works to prepare us to 'make an offering in righteousness' when He arrives.~ Neal Maxwell
Okay. So I get it now! I am being made pure, and in the right condition to bring an offering of righteousness. So God will make me able to say with Job: 5 My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you. Job 42:5
but now my eyes have seen you. Job 42:5
All the medical, physical, and financial challenges are part of the same fire. Not to prayed away, wished away, denied, or run from. They are to be endured until God's use for them is finished. I'm glad that He loves me enough to work on me that thoroughly. I rejoice to be found worth the time.
Blessed be the name of the Lord. His purpose is the same all along. Make me more like His Son.
posted by Janet | 10:03 AM
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