Detours…Refined

Today I have the pleasure of being featured on Encouragement Cafe. They are doing a series on detours…My post is titled Refined. I hope you jump over there to read it.

If you are visiting here from Encouragement Cafe. Welcome!

Refined, purified, cleansed. It is the process God uses to make us more like Him.

For you, God, tested us;
   you refined us like silver. Psalm 66:10

The refining process is rarely pleasant. It requires fire, burning away of impurities, the things that don’t last. Yet it is a delicate process. When you are refining something you do not get it so hot that you burn away everything. You only get it hot enough to get rid of the things that keep it from being pure.

That is how God refines us. He does not gleefully hold us in the fire of testing to see how long we can stand the heat. Instead He watches us closely in the fire. He never lets the fire get too hot nor does He leave us in the fire too long. He only keeps us there long enough to do the refining work necessary to help us reflect Christ better.

Maybe that is why in James we are told to:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4

Oh that we would look on our trials and tests and precious moments of refining. Moments when our God is near us, lovingly watching over us, that we may be complete. Let us consider it PURE JOY when trials come and allow God to use those trials to refine us.

Is there a detour in your life that God has used to refine you? Would you share it with me?

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