Daily Devotion For October 12

In the Furnace

I have shared before how I was invited to go down a gold mine when I worked for the mining industry. After going underground and seeing how they worked there, we went back up to the surface and were taken around the top of the mine.

We went on a tour of the hostels and saw the huge kitchens that catered for all the miners. Then we finally ended up at the place where they actually processed the gold.

We were taken to a room where they were busy making the gold bars. Our guide babbled on and on about technical details, but soon came the part I wanted to see. It was when they poured the beautiful molten gold out into the square blocks so that they could set.

I didn't understand a lot of what the guy was talking about. The only thing I picked up was that the furnace melted the gold at an incredible high heat. My mind just couldn't comprehend how hot it was.

Many years after this event I came across this verse of Scripture from Zechariah 13:9 which says this.

And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they will call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It [is] my people: and they will say, The LORD [Yahweh] [is] my God.

The Scripture reminded me of what I had seen at that gold mine and the Lord began to speak to me about the process. He said,

"My child, I love you and you are very special to me. I want you to be the best for me and to shine with my glory. But in order to do that, there are times when I need to remove the dross from you.

For as you go through your day to day life you pick up little things that are not of me. They are sometimes small and you often do not identify them in your life. But they are enough to stop my power from flowing through you. And they prevent you from being effective for me.

I sometimes have to put you into the fire to purge away and remove what is stopping you from shining like pure gold for me. But I know the best way to do it, and I will never harm you during the process.

My goal and desire is to make you into something beautiful and pure that I can use to be a blessing to others. So let me do my work in you my child. Be open to me molding and shaping you. For soon you will see how I cause you to shine for me as that special vessel in my hands," says the Lord.

Today may you let the Lord do His work in you so that you will shine like gold for Him.