Refinement

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith– of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

1 Peter 1:6-7

I gather with a group of women twice a month for Bible study, and for the next couple of weeks we’re meditating on the above scripture and the refinement that God is doing in us.   Honestly, I think he’s refining me daily, but there are seasons when the refinement heat gets turned up…and I can feel him slowly beginning to turn the heat up on me! 

Peter wrote his first letter to believers in today’s northern Turkey around 64 or 65 AD.  He was probably in Rome witnessing the persecution of believers.  When I’ve read this scripture in the past I tend to compare myself to the suffering of persecution saying, “Well, Sarah, it’s not like you have ever “suffered” in the way Peter is talking about.  Again…me missing the point!  The trials God walks me through thus far haven’t been me “suffer” because I’m a Christian.  However, he has and will take me through trials where my faith is refined...bringing me to my knees and causing me to focus on the only One who can provide encouragement and strength. 

What trial are you going through right now?  In the past I’ve gone through loneliness, depression, disappointment in those I’ve trusted, and times of great refinement in my character.   Currently, I’m going through a difficult and long separation from the love of my life trying to navigate the huddles that keep popping up.  There’s no illusion here...God’s going to use this year-long separation from my husband to do some “heartsmithing.”  It’s already beginning, and I sense the greatness of it’s magnitude. 

Peter warned his readers that “now for a little while” they may have to suffer. But like fire refines gold, so trials refine faith.  He’s essentially saying the trial of our faith is more important than the goldsmith’s trial of his gold.  It’s said that a goldsmith waits till he sees his face is reflected in the gold, and then he knows it’s ready to be taken out (if you’re a goldsmith, let me know if this is true).  God wants to see his face reflected back when he looks at me. Right now his image is probably VERY hazy when he looks at me, thus I’ll be getting dipped in and out of the hot refiner’s fire for a life time.  I’m human, so I reluctantly submit to his refining, although I know whatever character trait (s) he’ll work on in me over the next year will be for the purpose of reflecting more of him and less of me to the world, which is my heart’s desire.  Christ will get the praise, glory and honor!

Lord, please grant me courage and obedience to submit to your good and gracious refining work. 

What is God “burning off” in your life right now?  What character qualities do you see God developing in you?  As you meditate on this, I’d like to suggest you take a listen to the song “Refiner’s Fire.”

Blessings

Sarah

PS:  I get the sense he’s going to be working on my pride…big time!

(Image found on Google images without attribution.)