See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. -Isaiah 48:10 (NIV)
But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold. -Job 23:10 (ESV)
Fellow agent, traveler, believer, and child of God, we each have our crosses to bear. We each have fires we must walk through, and it’s important to know that God is allowing this fire to exist. He’s got plans for you.
In metallurgy, even back in biblical times, smelting was the use of extreme heat to extract and separate desired metal from impurities and ore. With silver, lead sulfide ore was rich in silver, so once extreme heat was applied to melt the metal away from the rest of the ore, hot air was blown over the metal, which would separate the lead. That lead oxide was called dross, which could be used for glazing pottery. (More about this from Bible Hub.)
Friend, the extreme heat you face is the heat God is using to purify you…to separate you from impurities you’re carrying. With every moment you continue to endure in His name and to His glory, He makes you more Christlike. He makes you stronger, more faithful, more steadfast. He is increasing in you, while you decrease.
Stay the course. We each endure the heat of our trials, and can take comfort in knowing that He is bettering us through them. Can you imagine these trials without Him? I sure don’t want to.
God, the Refiner, is refining you in His fire. On the other side of this trial, you will come out as gold.
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