“Why is this happening to me” may be the question in your heart. These are usually our thoughts when in trying times. As Christians, sometimes, we think we are exempted from challenges. We forget our prayers of “use me, Lord!” “Refine me, Lord!” We forget that these prayers gave the Goldsmith access to do whatever and use us however He wanted.
Not that we regret praying those. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be used by God any day anytime, who wouldn’t want to come out as pure gold to everyone’s admiration? But then, the Fire is hot and painful! The Fire doesn’t care about your emotion. The Fire just wants to do what it was sent to do. Sounds merciless, isn’t it? Yes, that’s what Fire does!
Now, let’s talk about the Goldsmith.
You know when you have a good word from the Goldsmith? Telling you He will make you an eternal excellency and a joy to many generations? You receive it with so much joy and gladness. This is what we’re meant to do. To receive it wholeheartedly. Joyfully. Then things turn upside down after you have received it. Yes, it does. You begin to wonder why the opposite of the word you received begins to occur.
The refining starts. You want to run out of the fire, but you can’t. Not that there are no other cooler places to run to, but that the other cool places offer the fire that kills. This offers Fire that leads to Life. This presents Fire that does not burn but brightens. The Fire that does not kill but makes alive! The Fire that awakens, Fire that refines, Fire that leaves beauty.
When you look at where you’ve come from, it may not look like you have covered much distance. You do not know if the fire has reached its hottest point. Comfort yourself because there’s another in the fire with you. He’s with you, smiling, cheering you on. He’s with you, loving you. He’s with you, helping you forgive. He’s with you healing you and he will definitely be with you, bringing you out of the fire safely.
He’s with you.
So, I don’t know how long the fire would last, all I know is, whether in or out of the fire, the Goldsmith Loves you, for you are His and He’s yours!
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NKJV