Years ago, while at an alter of prayer, I prayed that the Lord would give me gold tried in the fire, referring back to the scripture which said –
“I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”
Rev.2:18 (KJV)
Over the years the Lord has answered that prayer many times.
Going through the fire is NOT a pleasant experience it is painful, frustrating, it can make you angry and even scared and fearful, especially when attitudes of the soul are exposed in all of their raw, fleshly, sin filled ugliness.
Everything in you wants to run and hide…but hiding just prolongs the refining process and the Lord will turn up the heat majorly to accomplish his will and his purpose.
Over the last few days I’ve gone through the fires, experiencing severe emotional stress and a real painful situation dealing with so much.
It happens to us all…it is part of the human experience…and sometimes we don’t handle the fire well, I know I don’t it’s against my very nature.
Thankfully, praying, repenting, reconciling is not always easy but it is what is necessary for healing,
If there is one thing I’ve learned through life it is that people see things through different lenses.
Misunderstandings, miscommunication, demonic interference and confusion, outright biblical defined abuse, emotional, physical and financial issues, what ever has happened I have chosen to just… let it go.
I’ve chosen to just… let it ALL go.
Forgiveness can come easily and quickly after an offence, and actions have consequences, but there are times when the Lord actually wills for us to go through difficult times to bring out issues, pains, and hurts that could have been buried beneath the surface for years.
There is nothing like severe stress, pain and illness to bring things to the surface, when the Lord is putting the fire to the gold and the dross comes to the surface it is not pretty and needs to be skimmed off… permanently- it is only then that the gold can shine clearly.
I’ve learned I can’t focus on the roar of the fire, or the intense heat, or the dross that comes to the top, if I focus on that, it will destroy me. That type of focus brings out all the fleshly responses of anger, frustration, railing against the process, railing against the people God used to do his will, and even railing against the Lord himself, NO that type of focus is a recipe for spiritual destruction.
Instead, I chose to think and focus on the thought that finally set me free,
“It seems it is God’s will for me to be in the fire at this time”
Gold is purified by fire.
Diamonds are made through intense pressure.
and
Christians are made through tribulations, trials and suffering!
Today, i chose to cease struggling against the process, to cease blaming people, to cease fighting the Lord.
…to God be all the Glory!
“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you.” Eph. 4:31-32 (KJV)
1 Pet.1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
