God's Refining Fire
"I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, "These are my people," and they will say, "The Lord is our God.'" -Zechariah 13:9
Did you know that God tests us? He doesn't do it to be mean or to play a joke on us, but He does it to see where our heart is. He does this because this is the most important thing to him - our heart.
As children of His, He wants us to experience life as it was meant to be, full of purpose, meaning, and great relationships. In order for us to experience those things, he puts us through the "refining fire". This is the place of testing, where the bad comes out, and the good stays intact, like gold in a kiln.
Everyday, we experience tests and trials, though we may not recognize them as such. When big ones happen, we question God. "Why did this happen? Why did they do that to me? It wasn't right! It wasn't fair! God, change them!" When really, it is us He is desiring to change.
Have you ever heard the quote, "He loves us too much to keep us where we are"? It may already be an old cliché to you, but I believe it to be true. Testing removes the impurities in our hearts, so we may be found spotless and holy, as a living sacrifice, just as Jesus was. (1 Peter 1:19)
Have you experienced God's testing? If not, ask him to work his perfect miracle in you, to transform you into a person who reflects God's glory. Let the gold that is in you be refined, so that the destiny God has for you can be revealed and lived out. Let him work his perfect miracle in you today.
Related resource: Let God Fight Your Battles: Being Peaceful in the Storm, by Joyce Meyer
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