Refined by Fire

Image by John Vasilopoulos from Pixabay Scripture added by me

Many Holy Women of Old went through Great Tribulations. Some of us seeing the current circumstances of society are beginning to fear that great suffering is in our near future. But we need not fear what is ahead. It is an opportunity for our faith to be manifested and God glorified. If you struggle with the desire to avoid or despise suffering refresh yourself with the Word of God and ask Him to increase your faith.

Hebrews 11

[24] By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
[25] Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;[

[26] Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. 

[27] By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

[32] And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:

[33] Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
[34] Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
[35] Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
[36] And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
[37] They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
[38] (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
[39] And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
[40] God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

What a dreadful thing to go through life unrefined. No real fire to burn the sin out of you. Just a mundane existence. Eating, drinking, sleeping....a life much like the beast who will not stand before the righteous judgment. But we humans who are made after God's image will come before God to give an account of our life.

Thank God if your life has difficulties that burn up the chaff (the no good, the useless part). Those hard trials that bring you to your knees and total surrender. That makes you not care about anything but pleasing your Maker. That makes your life feel so ruined that you are brought to deep humility where pride can no longer have its ugly roots in the soil of your broken heart. Where all you want to do is love like Christ and never argue again, never let a foolish word come out your mouth, never belittle anyone again, never seek to defend yourself again; but all your hope, trust & joy rests on God and your affections are set on things above.

I can't imagine living a life so mundane and secure that secret sins are never purged, pride and arrogance go unnoticed, foolishness & perversion unaccounted for... Until the day you stand before the God who formed you in your mother's womb and hear Him say, "Depart from me, I never knew you..." And then you cry out in shock, "But Lord I cast out demons in your name, I 'won' souls for You, I gave 20%,!!!!!" To no avail. Because you did not earnestly seek to be purged of all that God hates. You avoided the refiner's fire. You did not make God your first love. You got comfortable in this life and failed to see your nakedness. God help us to remember in our times of suffering that it is not in vain, that our endurance will cause us to come forth as something more precious than fine gold.

Let us not be as these spoken of in the book of Revelation:

Revelation 3:17

17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Grace and peace and FAITH be multiplied.