Take the Heat

We got a phone call this afternoon from a friend of ours.

It wasn't good. It was familiar to us.

Later, he stopped by so we could love on him...listen and pray. The story and pain weren't uncommon to our kitchen table.

Well, the story was common. The pain-that kind of pain always seems to catch me unaware and leave a new bruise unlike any other.

As we were talking and sorting and advising (attempting through it all to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves"), the thought hit me. "It's all been leading up to this moment for him. The decisions that he makes right now will be the hardest of his life. The choices will matter the most."

I mentioned to him that no matter what, he will always look back on these months as his "refining". He will never be the same. One way or the other, everything changes.

He went on to tell me what he recently found out in regards to the whole "refining" thing. He had heard about the process that silversmiths go through to refine silver into pure silver over fire.

He explained that it's not like the silversmith throws the silver on the fire and then walks away to nap or get a cup of coffee. In fact, he has to stand right over metal as it heats from the fire and he can't take his eyes off of it. He waits for the perfect moment to remove it and if he waits one second too long- it's ruined.

I was stalled for a minute. Isn't that amazing?

To think that when God takes us to the fire to refine us...He's there every moment of it, never taking His eyes off of us. And blessings of all blessings...in that perfect moment- Relief.

Pure Relief.

Sadly, many don't care to take the heat. They fall for the lie that running from God's intense working can produce the same beautiful results.

I know...I've been known to run.

The confusion is that as the heat gets hotter, the more "wrong" the situation seems!

I always seem to forget in the moment that in refining silver, the silversmith needs to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames are hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

Mal. 3:3a- "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver"

SO, if you're in the deepest heat right now and you're feeling desperately alone, remember: Our faithful silversmith is very near, eyes always on you and ready to produce supernatural results just in time and just at the right time!

(And if you're not...just wait and pray! Your time is coming!)