The Refiner’s Fire “Is not my word like fire,’ declares the LORD, ‘and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?’” Jeremiah 23:29 “For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” Deuteronomy 4:24 Someone once described to me the process of refining gold. The gold is subjected to an intensely hot fire of 1,948. until it melts. This causes the imbedded impurities to separate and rise to the surface. The dross can then be skimmed off, and— remarkably—the worker is able to see his reflection on the surface of the pure, precious metal. God desires to prepare a people for Himself (Zechariah 13:9). But first, the Master Refiner must extract our dead hearts of stone and replace them with living hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). We need the holy fire of God’s Word to melt our stony hearts and burn away the dross of sin and impurity. Christ died to cleanse and redeem even the vilest of hearts. He alone has the authority to forgive sin and free the captive from its power. Once the refining fire of God’s Word softens the heart, He then hammers and shapes it, forging something glorious for His holy use. He is preparing for Himself a spotless bride that will be a reflection of His magnificent glory (see Ephesians 5:25b-27). SF: Malachi 3:2-3 Insight: Admit that you must yield yourself to the fire and hammer of God’s Word. When you do so, His glory is reflected in your life. BIAY: Jeremiah 9-10 Psalm 108 Romans 7-8 | | Bible Gateway Recommendations | | | | | | | Copyright Information | | The Anchor Devotional. Copyright © 2018 Haven Ministries. All rights reserved. | Subscription Information | | This email was sent to ricklivermore.1220@blogger.com by Bible Gateway, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA. This email is part of a devotional or newsletter that you signed up for on BibleGateway.com. If you have questions or comments about this email, please contact us. Manage all Bible Gateway subscriptions — Opt Out of all Bible Gateway communication | | | | | | | | |
| | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment