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Refining Gold

Refining Gold

By: Juliet Constantine



Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. (2 Timothy 3:12)
 

According to Wikipedia, there are several ways to process gold, with only one or so giving you 99.999% pure gold. Irrespective of the process used, refining gold is very technical and can be dangerous. The processor must possess great attention to detail to know exactly when the process of refining is complete or else the gold will be destroyed. The final stage of refining gold is to reliquefy the metal in a furnace. This stage separates the pure gold from other metals. A sample is then tested to measure the pure gold content and in most cases, it is 99.99% pure. No one gets 100% purity!

The trials and testing of God’s children can be termed as gold tried in the fire. Persecution and trials are prerequisites on our journey to the Kingdom. We cannot get around it; we cannot pass over or under it. We must face it. Trials are not negative. They are means of drawing us closer to the King and His Kingdom. They serve to deepen our dependence, faith and trust in God as we rely on Him for everything. They serve to strip away the unpleasant and unnecessary baggage that would only hinder us on our journey. Trials are positive markers that He’s still working on us, to make us what we ought to be!

More expert than any refiner, Christ counsels us in Revelation 3:18 to “buy of Him gold tried in the fire” that we maybe rich - rich in character and experiences; which will serve to strengthen someone else, facing their refining. We will be rich in joy and a settled peace knowing that our Creator knows the right time to pull us out, He will not give us more than we can bear. We will become strengthened knowing that the harder the battle, the sweeter the victory. Why, because people do not stone fruitless trees. Our fruit will be genuine and as we stand tall for Christ, He will draw others to Himself.

So take courage you who live godly in Christ Jesus. You will suffer persecution - but you will not be destroyed. Count it all joy and stand like the brave with your face to the foe. Without trails, we would never know the Lord and the joy of answered prayers. It is in those agonizing times that we truly know that Jesus really cares. We will be brought closer to Him until we are Home. So hold on a little longer. There’s too much to gain to loose.

In the words of the song, I concur.

So I pray, “Thank you Lord, for the trails that come my way, in that way, I can grow each day, as I let you lead. And thank you Lord, for the patience those trials bring, in that process of growing, I can learn to care. But it goes against the way I am, to put my human nature down, and let the Spirit take control of all I do. Cause when those trials come my human nature shout the thing to do, and God’s soft promptings can be easily ignored.” Please Lord, refine me in your way and time, and I shall come forth as 100% pure gold. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.



Copyrighted by Juliet Constantine 2014 (for “Alone With God – Finding Jesus In The Scriptures” Daily Devotional)

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