A Refiner's Fire by Os Hillman
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By Os Hillman
A Refiner's
Fire
by Os Hillman
"For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's
soap." - Malachi 3:2b
The
Lord has a specific manner of preparing His people for useful service. God
desires to turn His children from rough, hard-edged stones into gems of gold
and silver.
"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will
purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will
have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah
and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former
years" (Malachi 3:3-4).
The
refiner's fire can only accomplish its purposes when the heat is turned up to
extraordinary temperatures. It breaks down the metal in order for it to become
moldable and shapeable. Only when the temperatures reach this level can the
work be fully accomplished. So it is in our lives.
Until
the Lord completes His refining process, the offerings we make are not made in
righteousness and cannot be acceptable. Thank God that Jesus is our
righteousness and that there is no righteousness apart from Him. Still, the
Lord continues to purge all that is not of His righteousness out of our lives.
This comes through trials that bring each of us to the end of ourselves in
order that He may only reflect that which is Himself.
When
God takes you through the refiner's fire, be encouraged because it is His
overriding commitment to turn you from a rough, hard-edged stone to a precious
metal. He will do this through certain events in your workplace, your
relationships, and other circumstances in your life. Our job is to avoid trying
to blow out the fire.
Os
Hillman
By permission only. To learn more about
Os Hillman, go to: www.marketplaceleaders.org.
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"And the Lord said to Joshua, 'This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.'"(Josh 3:7-8). Joshua had been a faithful number two man under Moses for 40 years. Can you imagine serving one man for 40 years? Now that is faithfulness! Even so, when the time came to pass the mantel to Joshua, God knew he needed to be elevated in the eyes of the people in order for Joshua to accomplish his purpose. That is the purpose for elevation - so that you and I can fulfill our purpose and our mission.
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"Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband." Ruth 1:3-5 Naomi's life was going well. A great husband. Two fine sons who had two wonderful wives. Then the unthinkable happened. Her husband died. A little time later both her sons die. Her and her daughter-in-laws find themselves in the midst of shattered dreams. This isn't how life was supposed to be.
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"While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, 'Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.'" Acts 10:19-20 Peter had never preached to the Gentiles. In fact, he believed it was against Jewish law to associate with the Gentiles. God needed to change Peter's attitude about this, so God gave Peter a vision that showed him it was permissible to preach to the Gentiles. The Spirit came to Peter and informed him that some men were about to come visit him, and he was to go with them. He went with them, and the Lord did great miracles in the lives of Gentiles through Peter.