#37: A Week of Fires

A man who spent a majority of his life with a face trodden with caked on dirt, clothes that were constantly torn to shreds in mourning, a body beaten and  bruised, by a life that was threatened daily, wrote a Psalm that permeates through the confines of time itself.


A man after God's heart knew the secret to living for an eternity; this secret reverberated in his heart of hearts and projected from his mouth as soulful worship: 


Praise the LORD!
         Praise God in His sanctuary;
         Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
         Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
         Praise Him with the lute and harp!
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
         Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
         Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
         Praise the LORD!


This man was sifted and tried. He was thrown in the refining fire while it burned more furiously than with others. Yet it was all worth it.  If the Lord gives us a promise, yet tells us we'll face death by fire to receive it, is it worth it? I believe that the man I've been referring to would have taken torture a thousand times more excruciating for the Glory and Unity of him with his Savior.


This man was David, and David understood something that I still have yet to learn: Even the most beautiful of items, went through the fire.
Glass.
Sculptures.
Pottery.
Gold.
Silver.
You.
The refiners fire.


This week at my work I noticed that all of the lights were out in an elaborate chandelier we have. I decided to change them.  There were about 8 bulbs that had burned out. As I was about to finish screwing in bulb #3, I heard a "tick, tick , creak, KAPLOW." Multiple mushroom clouds of potent, white smoke expunged itself from the wiring and chain that held the chandelier. Amidst the smoke I saw the blue flame glowing, it made its way up the chain and became a furious blue and yellow flame. FIRE! Now, I will admit, an expletive did leak out of my mouth, but it was not nearly as potent as the putrid white smoke that filled our lungs. The fire ate through the metal chord that was entwined in the chain to provide electricity to the dangling chandelier. Now, the only thing that is left, is the chain links.


What is the point in that story? Well, a lot of people would see the fire as being a detrimental thing. Yes, in some ways it was. HOWEVER, the fire dissipated and only made us realize that the problem lied much deeper than the chord, but rather, a series of electrical hazards and pinched wires that could have set fire to the whole building. The chandelier is now being repaired, having the chord replaced, and re-polished.


If that fire hadn't sparked, the underlying problem would have not been corrected.


David would not have been "a man after God's own heart," if he hadn't known the sacrifice and perseverance that came from suffering, better yet, from trusting.
A man has to die to himself to truly acquire the beauty of passion and ministry. It is a painful process.

The Lord says when you lose your life you will GAIN it.

Be careful what you allow your life to revolve around, because that may just be what is going to  be used to refine you.


You see, the refiners fire corrects the incorrect in you. The fire encompasses the core of your very being and burns. It fills every nook and crevice that you think is hidden, it takes every thought captive. It takes all that you think you know to be true and melts all of your idols in front of your face. The fire only leaves one truth standing and that is your Salvation in Jesus Christ alone. Praise God for Christ and the refining Holy Spirit. 

The fire may hurt,  but don't be blind to what it is igniting in your soul. It heats the ash that lingers and only beauty will come from it..

Malachi 3:2

But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears?
      For He is like a refiner’s fire   And like launderers’ soap.