Post Sunday Devo August 24, 2008

Proverbs 17:3 “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests the hearts.”

It certainly has not been one of the hotter summers on record in 2008 in New England. It has however been quite the wet summer! Which I would imagine for many of us that is OK, because that meant the AC was on less, which kept the electricity bills down in order to save up for our oil and gas costs this winter! It is those higher temperatures that not only cause a great surge in energy usage, but a great surge in other areas as well. The heat drives us toward cool enclosed shelters. The heat drives us toward lakes, ponds, oceans and pools. The heat drives us to Dasani, Poland Springs and other such “pure” liquids. Heat brings about the necessary chemical reactions in our cooking that takes all those spices and ingredients and brings about new flavors and tastes. Heat can relax injured muscles. Heat can destroy harmful bacteria’s. Heat is a vital part of our lives it can be medicinal and used to preserve life.

Heat can also be dangerous as statistics show that when the warmer weather hits it unfortunately drives some toward increased anger and violence. Crime always increases with hot weather and this is why some of the larger cities in the South have the highest crime rates in the country. Heat if not responded to correctly or used correctly can do great harm. Isn’t it like that with most things in life?
Over the years I’ve heard or read many times about the refining process of gold or silver and how the gold for example is put under the stress of great heat, the impurities rise to the top, are skimmed off and you are left with “pure” gold. It is now clean and perfect. What I do not remember hearing is the fact that the heat necessary is around 2100 degrees Fahrenheit. That is hot; remember water boiling is 212 F. Forest fires burn at approximately upwards of 500 degrees. So hearing over 2000 degrees that peaked my attention! I’ve never heard of the extreme temperature described before nor have I ever heard this about purifying gold, let this quote sink in:

“Before gold is sold on the market it has to go through a purification process. This process is quite complex and dangerous. It needs to be done under the right circumstances and with the utmost care in safety precautions. It is not recommended to try this process unless you have experience working with harmful chemicals.”

If you are like me, you really enjoy the image of the gold purification process because it is a picture of beauty and perfection because the imagery painted is normally the final product. After reading more about the process it brought the reality of the imagery back to me, it is hot, real hot, it is dangerous, real dangerous and it has to be done under the right circumstances and by the right individuals. I think musician and song writer Bebo Norman had a better idea of what is actually happening during this purification process.

A shapeless piece of steel, that's all I claim to be
This hammer pounds to give me form, this flame, it melts my dreams
I glow with fire and fury, as I'm twisted like a vine
My final shape, my final form I'm sure I'm bound to find
So dream a little, dream for me in hopes that I'll remain
And cry a little, cry for me so I can bear the flames
And hurt a little, hurt for me my future is untold
But my dreams are not the issue here, for they, the hammer holds
Lyrics taken from The Hammer Holds by Bebo Norman

The imagery that is painted and pictured here in Proverbs 17:3 is linked to the Lord testing our hearts. Purifying our heart; that which comes forth from it is pure. That as James wrote to us in the New Testament: James 1:3-4 “because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” NIV

God desires to bring about a purity in us that is unmatched. A purity in us that creates in us a person, perseverance and a presence that is as His Son. That said, it is a process that involves heat that is extreme. Where will that heat drive us? To the ocean for a vacation from it? To anger rebelling against it? Or to that pure water, that living water that Jesus speaks of: John 4:14 “but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." Believe me you will need refreshment during this process, make sure you are drinking the refreshment from the right source!

The process is also dangerous, are you willing to submit to undergoing this process? Are you willing to risk the impure gold that you are to become a pure product? I believe we all know within us that the process is dangerous so we shy away from it and settle for a less than perfect process, but comfort ourselves with the thought, “well at least I’m safe.” I’m glad Jesus didn’t opt for His own personal safety. My life was saved by His willingness to place Himself in danger.
The process will yield differing impurities and thus there will be differing tests in order to properly refine each individual piece of gold. I have been the pastor of New Heights now for about 2 years. Prior to that I was an assistant pastor for 5 years. Prior to that I was a youth pastor for 2 years. Prior to that I was a Bible student. So at least from the church government perspective I have been through each stage. I can attest to the fact that each stage has required a differing technique to work out the impurities that had to be removed in order for me to be that clean vessel for the Lord. While I was in one state (position), I was unaware of the heat necessary to refine me into the next stage of life. Thank goodness that I was unaware, for I may have never moved on! This has revealed multiple things to me; I’ll just share a couple. God is kind enough not to completely refine us immediately. That would destroy us. Praise Him for that. God is loving enough not to leave us in an impure state and thus the purifying heat will come. Praise Him for that. He wants the very best for us.

To better prepare yourself for the purification process coming in your future, you may want to spend a moment looking back at what has been skimmed off your life already and recall the difficulty that was overcome then to produce the joy you now experience today. Rejoice knowing that God truly is faithful in His process to purify you to become the men and women He desires. This will assist in inspiring us to endure the future flames of purification.

The process must also be done by the right individual. Namely God Himself. He really is the only One that truly knows the exact temperature necessary in our lives and the One who knows the exact time and conditions to do it under. This should open all of our eyes to how we speak into the lives of others. When I was assistant pastor for example, I remember encouraging my pastor when he “seemed” to be too hard on himself. Now that I have been given the opportunity to a pastor, I see that he needed my prayer not my “words,” for God was refining Him and it was for his benefit not destruction. His life, your life is not an experiment, it is a precious life created and shaped by God. My cooling, soothing words may have only hindered the process that God was working in His life. I know we all want to help soothe and comfort, but what if our soothing and comfort draws that individual away from the flames that are necessary for their good, not harm? We have to be careful not to take the role of refiner on as ourselves.

How do we know we are speaking the right words? There is no guarantee you will, but I can tell you that God’s wisdom is to be spoken slowly more often than not (Proverbs and James speak toward this strongly). I have a wonderful friend who never responds to my requests for counsel immediately, but always tells me to give me him a day or two to pray and think about it. When he does respond a couple of days later I can honestly say that his counsel almost always is very sobering to me (and differs from immediate counsel I receive, sometimes vastly) and I truly appreciate the thoughtfulness of his counsel. Words I receive right away normally are soothing, to provide me with some immediate comfort, but I’ve found over the years that God has not come into my life so I can be comfortable at all times, but rather so I can at all times be moving toward being like His Son, which at times is not comfortable and it doesn’t feel safe and secure, but rather dangerous, hot and unstable. I’m glad seeing this is the case that the Refiner of my life is none other than God Himself. There is no one else I would trust under these circumstances. How about you?

The hammer pounds again, but flames I do not feel
This force that drives me, helplessly, through flesh, and wood reveals
A burn that burns much deeper, it's more than I can stand
The reason for my life was to take the life of a guiltless man
Lyrics from The Hammer Holds – Bebo Norman

Questions to Ask Yourself:

1. Is there anything in your life that God is unable to purify? Why? If you answered yes, please read and memorize Matthew 19:26 and Mark 9:23.
2. What are some of the reasons why God wants to put your heart under the purification process?