See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 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 fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. (Malachi 3:1-4, NRSV)
This is one of my favorite verses!
God will purify us in a fire and refine us like gold and silver.
God is going to put us in the fire and heat us up and get all the impurities out of us.
It sounds hot and not very much fun.
But the fun comes in the process with which we will be refined, like silver!
And in order to refine silver, the one refining has to sit and watch it all time. You can not remove it too soon, or allow it to sit in the fire too long, either will not make the silver the best it can be.
And how does the refiner know when the silver is done? When they can see their reflection in the silver!
God knows you are refined and ready when He can see His reflection in you!
So Take the heat, for God is making you just like Him!
aSacredRebel 