September 10th
Refining Makes the Difference
It is truly amazing how different people act/react/respond to the same thing/circumstance. Let me give you an illustration of this.
Take a piece of meat, some sand, some clay, some wax and some wood shavings. Put then on the fire or heat them up some way and one can see how they each react.
The meat will cook, the sand will dry up, the clay will harden and the wood shavings will blaze up. YET each had the "same" outward force applied to it - in this case, heat or fire.
So when I visit two people who are in jail - or when I visit two people in the hospital, or when I visit two people who are senior citizens and confined to their home, or when I visit two business men, I CAN SEE A DIFFERENCE in the way they respond to the same situation (fire). It appears that "what is inside them" makes the difference. I suppose one (of the many) words could be = attitude.
It is like difficulties make some bitter and some others better. Interesting, huh? Under identical influences and circumstances and environment and situations, one is made stronger through it, another weaker.
I am encouraged to know that the Lord is lovingly, watching you and me IN our situations. Like the words of Malachi 3:3
"He will sit as a refiner and purifier...he will refine them like gold and silver..."The idea is that God is watching ever so carefully you, my friend, in your "firey situatons" to make sure the outcome will be a person of righteousness. I am hoping that you are making something good out of something bad that might be in your life right now.
My prayer for you
Lord how true it is that some of our experiences are like being thrown into a firey furnace. But I am grateful that you are WITH this one just like you were with those in the firey furnace of Daniel 3. I pray you would encourage their inner man to be made strong in the Lord and help them to know something beautiful will follow...that is a promise in Your Word...that all things will work together for good to THEM THAT LOVE the Lord. In the name of Jesus
Amen