A Refiner’s Fire

“Picture a craftsman sitting next to a fire so hot that the gold he works with is molten or liquid. The temperature of those flames approach 2000 degrees Fahrenheit, yet there sits the refiner, stirring the gold and skimming off impurities as they rise to the top. The refiner’s efforts to get the purest gold possible mean sitting at the fire—an extremely hot and therefore risky and uncomfortable task.

Just like this craftsman, God wants any good in us, His children, to be separated from the impure the unholy. The impurities that bubble up from within us makes us unsuitable for His purposes. In order to be fully used by Him, we need refining, transforming, and purifying. The suffering in this life works like the craftsman’s flames.; it brings impurities and din to the top to be skimmed away. And like that craftsman, our God is never far away from us even as the fire rages. Only as we are refined will be able to best reflect His love and peace in this dark and hurting world… (Peace)