REFINERSpeaker: Dr. Paul Dhinakaran Gist: After going through the refining process, compassion of Christ flows into your heart. Waiting patiently in the path of refining. “He (God) will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness” (Malachi 3:3).
God has chosen you to offer sacrifices of righteousness so that you might come forth as purified silver and gold. Many people are just satisfied in wearing gold and silver as ornaments but God goes a step further and wants to transform the person who so desires into silver and gold having His properties. He leads you in the path that He has planned for you.
“But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). The Bible says that God is the One who illuminates you. He refines silver and gold. Therefore, the Lord gives you the Holy Spirit.
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18) Such is the heart of the Heavenly Father who wants you to be transformed from glory into glory in the image of Christ Jesus.
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. (1 John 3:2) So there is a process that you should go through to be made like Jesus Christ. God says, “Continue to ceaselessly pray with patience when this process is in progress.”
In India there is a very big industry that manufactures steel tubes for applications in various processing units. As the newly made huge steel tube emerges, it is checked using laser instruments for finding the flaws. The surface of the steel tube should be of fine polishing. If the checking instrument happens to detect any piece that is having uneven surface then automatically that defective piece would be pushed into an acid tank. There it would lie until the scaling process is performed and once again the checking would be done. After it’s found perfect in all aspects it would be certified for use - the purpose for which it is made. Quite often you may also be thrown into the acid tank or a fiery furnace that polishes and perfects you.
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, (1 Peter 1:6-7)
Pray with patience while you are being processed in the acid tank and remember you will shine forth as gold. What is the attribute of gold? When the process of refining or purification is over, the attribute called ‘compassion’ comes into you. Gold is compared to the compassion of Christ. After going through the refining process, compassion of Christ flows into your heart.
What signified the cause for a huge crowd to follow Jesus Christ even in the wilderness? How could Jesus Christ receive the attraction of so many people? The divine healing power came forth as a result of the compassion of Christ.
My father firmly believed in the promise verse, “I am the Lord who heals you.” From the year 1962 to 1969 the Lord carried him through without any sickness but in the year 1969, the functioning of my father’s lungs failed. Remember God is in control of you life from the moment you have submitted your life into the hands of God. The Lord allowed him to get the help of experts in the medical field. The doctors declared, “Sir! There is no hope. We are just administering the medicine but God should perform a miracle for you.” God asked my father, “My son, you may ask, ‘Lord! Why don’t you heal me in the supernatural way?’ Most of my servants who have received such miracles turn away after a span of time when pride sets into their hearts. Therefore I am allowing you to go through this process of refining.” God healed him. The Bible says, “His compassions fail not” (Lamentations 3:23) God allows you to go through the fire in order to receive the valuable virtue called ‘COMPASSION’
Prayer
Loving Lord,
Help me to exhibit the valuable virtue called patience when I progress passing through the purification process. Fill me with Your compassion so that I may reach out to those whom I meet today and be a source of blessing for Your glory. Transform me from glory to glory and bless all my efforts this day. Give me the grace so that I do not grumble while passing through the fiery furnace but trust and believe the Refiner is with me always. In Jesus' compassionate name, I pray.
Amen |