BEEN IN THE FIRE

by Sharon Ruff

As children, we learn very quickly through a painful experience that fire is hot, it hurts, and it burns. We learn to stay a safe distance away and enjoy its benefits from a distance. Therefore, it’s hard for us as adults to embrace verses like Zechariah 13:9 which talks about God testing and refining His people as if through fire. Everything in us says there must be an easier way.

This third I will bring into the fire;
I will refine them like silver
and test them like gold.
They will call on my name
and I will answer them;
I will say, 'They are my people,'
and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'"

In Webster’s Dictionary the word refine means: to make free from impurities and imperfection. It’s the process used to purify precious metals like silver and gold. As the metals are heated up, the “dross” rises to the surface and is skimmed off. Wonder what dross is? Me too. This isn’t pretty: Webster’s says it is waste matter, worthless stuff and rubbish.

Proverbs 25:4 says, Remove the dross from the silver, and out comes material for the silversmith. Can we agree that there are some things in our lives that could fall into the “dross” category? Think about the last time you were in an emotionally “hot” situation and frustration, irritation, anger, impatience, judgment, criticism or jealousy came to the surface. These are examples of the waster matter, worthless stuff, and rubbish that needs to be skimmed off of our lives. According to that verse in Proverbs, it sounds like removing the dross is a necessary process for us to be vessels worthy to be of use to God.

It has been said that when a silversmith is refining the silver, he constantly watches over the process until it is complete. If the fire gets too hot it will destroy the metal. The heat is only intended to bring the impurities to the surface so the silversmith can remove them. We can take comfort from this verse in Isaiah 43:2: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. (Emphasis added)

Remember the story in Daniel 3 about the three Hebrew boys who were thrown into the fiery furnace because they would not bow down and worship a false god? The fire only consumed the ropes that had bound them. As you pass through the “fires” of your life, trust God that they will not consume you but only destroy those things that have kept you bound.

LET’S PRAY TOGETHER: FATHER, THANK YOU THAT THE FIRES IN MY LIFE ARE NOT INTENDED TO DESTOY ME, BUT TO SIMPLY PROVIDE THE MEANS FOR BRINGING THE DROSS TO THE SURFACE SO YOU CAN SKIM IT OFF. FORGIVE ME LORD FOR NOT ALWAYS SUMBITTING TO THE PROCESS.

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