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Have You Been Refined by Fire?
Autor: gmapublishing :: Views: 44 ::
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It's funny to think about how contrary and backwards the road to success is for Christians. When God speaks to you and gives you a purpose, a mission, and a vision for your life, you begin to pursue that vision with high hopes and wide eyes. You begin to make plans as to how you will approach the vision. You seek the Lord for strategy and direction. You then form what you believe is a solid plan of execution...Then the bottom falls out!
When Moses was given his charge to go the Pharaoh and demand the Children of Israel be released, he did count the cost before he went. Nevertheless, after they were freed from the oppression of slavery to move into the Promised Land that God was providing, I'm sure Moses didn't anticipate the horrors to come. About a 2 week journey ended up being an entire lifetime spent in the desert, roaming and being tested. Moses spent 40 years of his life committed to God and putting out fires between God and the Children of Israel and ultimately couldn't enter the Promised Land in his lifetime because of their sin.
The Promised Land is our entire goal as people of God. We, like Paul, are pressing toward the mark of the prize of the high calling that we have in Jesus everyday of our lives just to find out that we are actually pressing. Did you get that? We are pressing, meaning there is resistance. This resistance is the real kicker. That's the catch' to living in the full manifest glory of Jesus' redemptive work in our life.
You see, once you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, the "riches according to His glory" are made available to you, however you don't actually start bearing the marks of having received them so easily; that requires refinement.
The riches of God are real riches. Power, influence, position, prominence, wealth, and favor are real riches that God gives to His people. Look at the people throughout the Bible. Moses was the pastor, prophet, and president of about 3 million people! He was a very powerful man. He wrote the law that the Jewish nation still lives by today. Look at Joseph, Daniel, King David, King Solomon, Samuel, Elisha, Paul, and Jesus. God desires to make His people lights to the world. He wants to entrust us with wealth, influence, and power to get His work done in the world but if we aren't refined, He cannot use us. King Saul is a good example of a person who used power the wrong way. Look at what Hitler, Hussein, and Bin Laden did with power. God must sanctify our hearts, discipline our actions, and consecrate our minds unto Him and this is the reason for all of your pain.
"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be refined by fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:7
The old saying, "no pain, no gain" is the name of the game for the Christian. So the short journey through the desert that Moses was leading the Children of Israel through was supposed to be a short training camp before they actually entered the Promised Land and began to kill the enemies of that land. In the hard times of life, God is simply trying to strengthen us, mature us, and help us grow so that we will actually succeed for the long-term when He gives us His wealth and riches to manage. Money, power, fame, and success changes people; fast! It will absolutely corrupt the heart of the ill-prepared Christian. God won't allow that to happen to you.
When you're parents whipped you and said "this hurts me more than it hurts you" this is absolutely true of God. He hates to see you in pain, struggling, and suffering; yet He looks toward your advancement from the desert times of life into your Promised Land, where He awaits you and has milk and honey and more abundance than you can handle. The desert will actually prepare you, strengthen you, and equip you with the discipline and reverence for God's resources to manage them with prudence and care in your Promised Land where wealth and blessing are in abundance.
Dry your eyes, hand on tight, keep trusting in the Lord. He is your strong tower, and a very present help in times of need. He loves you and He will give you the desires of your heart if you simply trust in Him and lean not to your own understanding.
Source: Free Articles
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