“Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. -- Isaiah 48:10 (NASB)
My parents were both very talented in the area of arts and crafts. My dad did blacksmithing and woodworking as a hobby and my mom was a quilt maker and made decorative items with punched tin. When I was fourteen years old, my mom introduced me to the art of metalsmithing. From age 15 to 16, I apprenticed with a gold and silversmith and it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with the art. It was exciting to work with precious metals and hot flames and ultimately create a beautiful piece of jewelry that I could wear and enjoy, what’s not to love about that? My introduction to the process of refining gold and silver, in order to make beautiful jewelry, has become a lifelong hobby.
As I began to study and teach God’s Word, I came across passages that compared God’s purification of us to the purification of gold and silver. Right away it made sense to me, but I have to admit it didn’t sound like a pleasant process for a human to go through. In order to remove impurities from gold or silver, you must heat them up to temperatures between 1750 and 1940 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s extremely hot! So, as I began reading scriptures that referenced being “refined” and “tested” by fire in the same way gold and silver are, I had to stop and think about what God is trying to say.
“And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’” -- Zechariah 13:9 (NASB)
When thinking back on painful trials in my life, my first question to God is always “why?” As I consider this question today, I think it’s a very appropriate question to ask God. God allows pain and suffering, but when He does, He often allows it so that we will be purified from the sin and impurities we have adopted along life’s way.
So, the next time you are going through a painful or difficult time in your life, I encourage you to spend quiet time with the Lord consistently, asking Him to reveal what He would have you to learn from the experience rather than simply asking Him to remove you from it. Just remember, God doesn’t always remove us from trials in our lives, but He does always promise to be with us in the midst of them!
“After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” -- 1 Peter 5:10 (NASB)
Have you been refined by God lately? Did you lean into God for support and strength during the process? How did it change you?
