Quick thought for the day #2-Refine Me

Refine:
1. To make or become clear by the removal of impurities: clarify, clean, cleanse, purify.
2. To bring to perfection or completion

Awhile back while doing my Beth Moore Bible Study, Living Beyond Yourself, I was immersed in the story of Job. Of course it is one we all know very well. Job went through so much. So many horrible things happened to him and his family. Yet look at his attitude in Job 23:10, "He knows the way that I take. When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold."

Even though Job couldn't find God at those times of heartache and pain. Even though he felt like God was a million miles away from him, He knew that God had been there and that God was with him. He was sure that God knew every moment of his agony. And Job held onto the hope that all that he was going through was in place for a reason----to polish him so that he could come forth as gold.

During the process of refining gold, the gold is placed over great heat so that it melts, bringing the impurities to the top. The refiner then scrapes off the impurities and continues the refining process until the gold has been purified. The refiner's job is to bring gold to its point of greatest reflection.

Our hardships, our struggles happen for a reason. It is through them that we learn and grow. It is those times when we lean not on our own understanding, that we emerge with lambency.

Everything we go through prepares us, helps us to get to our greatest point of reflection. So that we can become the reflection of our refiner.

Are you reflecting your father's love today in your actions and words? Are you still holding onto the hope in Him even in the midst of chaos? Are you faithful? Are you letting him refine you? Are you allowing him to bring your impurities to the surface to be dealt with so that you can shine?

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:6-7