In the fire

Clay is not the only substance that has to be put through fire. Gold does as well. Actually, every precious metal must go through a purification process if it is going to become something glorious: either by electric current, by being boiled in a closed chamber, or by enduring the fire itself.

Gold, as “precious” and shiny as it is when we see it, is hardly recognizable in the mines. It is as good as hidden – visible only to a trained eye. In the refining process, the whole lump suffers heat. Everything feels the flame, including the gold itself. That which is impure is burned away, and whatever is pure is melted.

God presents Himself as our Refiner. He can take any lump, no matter how useless-looking, and extract the treasure within. Yes, the treasure within these earthen vessels–God’s power at work in us (2 Corinthians 4:7). But the process is hot. Intensely hot.

Important to note is that the revealing of that which is pure within us requires incineration of every part of us. We might not mind so much when only stubble is burned, but would want to preserve the precious parts from that painful process. However, it doesn’t work like that. Even the “pure” things in our lives – the worthy acts, the sincere intentions, the God-given dreams – need to be put to the test. This is painful, not just because our impurities suffer intense heat, but because the best of us, the treasure in us, does also.

I suppose ours is to “count it all joy” and trust the process. Our Refiner knows what He is doing!

~ Diane