And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”

Zechariah 13:2-9

And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested.  They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’” Zechariah 13:9

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT (complete: Zephaniah, Haggai; to complete: Zechariah, Malachi) - using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my focus is an unassisted review of Zechariah 13:2-9, which the commentary outlines as the first of four divisions for the text 13:2-14:21 (13:2-9, 14:1-3, 14:4-9, 14:10-21).  Here, the text once again focuses on end times using the reference "on that day" twice in the text 13:2-9 (vv2, 4).  Speaking to Israel through Zechariah, God provides a prophecy of end times where He condemns and idols and false prophets.  V7 shares how God will strike "the man who stands next to me" - a clear reference to Jesus and a messianic prophecy.  Vv8-9 refers to a remnant that God will refine and test as if gold and silver where this refining process removes impurities. Malachi 3:3 also refers to this "refiner's fire" and it describes how the "sons of Levi" will be purified.  While God sees all believers as justified and righteous in His eyes - imputed righteousness - God does not promise that our earthly lives will be free of challenges.  On the contrary - we will face challenges and trials as this is the nature of the fallen world in which we live and inherited from the Fall.  At the same time, God does promise that we will overcome these challenges and trials - see John 16:33.  This promise from John shares and implies that we will overcome these challenges in this life and in the life to come in Heaven.  Key ways in which God helps us overcome include the sanctification process where God equips us day-by-day where we become more like Him through our daily focus on spiritual disciplines (prayer, study of His Word, etc.) and our relationship with Him. God is also with us through the Holy Spirit. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me and who never leaves or forsakes me.  You also equip me to endure trials and challenges of all kinds.  Thank You Jesus for saving me and for the blessings You pour out for me every day.  I am not deserving of my salvation nor these blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.     

[T]hey have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.

Mark 4

[T]hey have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. Mark 4:17

As I continue to be in between studies, having wrapped up my study looking at the life of Paul using John Piper's 30 Reasons Why I Love the Apostle Paul, I lean on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotional, which today looks at suffering that crushes faith.  Building on yesterday's post, and similar to my church's sermon from last week, Piper seeks for us to ultimately endure suffering "with firm faith in future grace."  Piper highlights the parable of the four soils where Piper refers to the text where "[s]ome people who hear the word receive it at first with gladness, but then suffering makes them fall away."  He then share how suffering "does not always make faith stronger. Sometimes it crushes faith."  Piper share from Mark 4:25 where Jesus effectively warns us against a weak faith that is crushed by suffering.  We are called to endure such that as Piper writes "our faith might grow stronger and not be proved vain" as written in 1 Corinthians 15:2. Piper then shares as he wraps the devotion that "[k]nowing God’s design in suffering is one of the main means of growing through suffering.  If you think your suffering is pointless, or that God is not in control, or that he is whimsical or cruel, then your suffering will drive you from God, instead of driving you from everything but God — as it should. So, it is crucial that faith in God’s grace includes the faith that he gives grace through suffering."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves us and who is in control of all details of our lives...even when things go bad we know You still love us, will never leave or forsake us, and are saving a place in Heaven for us!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouse to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts.

Proverbs 17-22:16

The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts. Proverbs 17:3

I continue with my study of Proverbs, and today I wrap my review of 17-22:16, week 7 from my study workbook, and as indicated yesterday, my focus for today is judgement. The study emphasizes that "God alone knows the heart of individuals, pointing to Jeremiah 17:10. Proverbs 17:3 portrays the "refiner's fire" and how God tests us and molds, and by removing impurities - often using trials and adversity as part of the process. It is through this sanctification process where God is molding us into more of His image - of course for His glory. My study states that "[w]hen God's people undergo such testing, it should be understood as God's fatherly discipline: trials work to purify the hearts of believers, conforming them to the image Christ." For additional references and to support this theme, we are pointed to Malachi 3:2 and Hebrews 12:7-11.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God and I see how Your hand in my life works, including through the refiners fire with trials and challenges.  While it may be painful - it is for my good and Your glory.  I also know that You never leave or forsake me and You never stop loving me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out....My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

John 10

To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out....My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:3, 27

This morning, I pause my study of Isaiah to listen to DesiringGod.com's daily devotion.  Here, John Piper emphasizes how God knows believers fully and intimately - this includes all of our sin and brokenness. This should be highly encouraging because we all want to be loved just as we are.  God does have an expectation that we submit to Him and He will refine and sanctify us, and this may be at times a painful process, but this process is good and for God's glory (and we exist for God's glory). We know that God never leaves or forsakes us, and if we seek Him, we will find Him. We should also approach God confidently.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God - You know everything about me, including my sin and brokenness, yet You still love me - incredible.  I am not deserving of such a God.  My sin is great, it is daily, and it continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

His rock shall pass away in terror, and his officers desert the standard in panic,” declares the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

Isaiah 30-32

His rock shall pass away in terror, and his officers desert the standard in panic,” declares the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and whose furnace is in Jerusalem. Isaiah 31:9

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series. Today, I completed Lesson 12, wrapping with Day 5 and a review of the lesson in its entirety.  As I review, God's attributes as fire are particularly convicting.  Of course, based on my post a couple of days ago, my commentary for Isaiah notes how, for believers, God's love provides warmth and care.  Fire is also a symbol of God's presence and how God led the Israelites out of Egypt through the wilderness - see Exodus 13. We also have God as a sanctifying and refining fire - see also Malachi 2:2-3 and this post on DesiringGod.com.  Of course, for God's enemies, including Satan and death, God is a destructive fire.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me, cares for me, never leaves or forsakes me and who protects me from harm - I know You are saving a place for me in Heaven.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings and love.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit.

Isaiah 26-27

In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit. Isaiah 27:6

I continue with my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series. Today, on Lesson 10, Day 4, the focus continues with Isaiah 26-27, moving on to Isaiah 27, where my commentary describes, using v6 or "prefigures" messianic prophecies of preserving a fruitful remnant to "fill the whole world with fruit." Yet we must see how God is emphasizing a remnant as most of Israel remains unfaithful.  My study points to Isaiah 24:6 where God is specific that His judgement of the whole earth will come to pass and only a "few men are left." Isaiah 27 describes how this happens through Israel's exile and desolation where God seeks to purify His people. This purification process is what God ultimately seeks from all believers who trust in Him...that through a closer relationship with Him, we would seek to please, honor and glorify Him for that is why exist - and we come to know this more and more through the sanctification process (see also refiner's fire).

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who sanctifies me - purifying me of sin and making me more like You.  Thank You Jesus for such love, compassion and grace.  I am not deserving.  My sin continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock.

Luke 6

Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. v46-48

Two takeaways this morning:
1. Build your faith during the good times such that when the difficult times arrive, you have a strong enough faith that you can persevere through the difficult times.  Of course, the difficult times will further sanctify and mold you into more of who Jesus intends you to be. 
2. That our time spent with Jesus in study and prayer is meant to be "spring board" for action, not just words on paper.

During the good times, we can draw upon our growing knowledge of the Bible, the increasing power of prayer in our life, and a deepening well of gratitude of what God has done for us and continues to do for us.

John Piper and DesiringGod.com on building faith during the good times and how trusting the sanctification process can help us: 
How can I have faith in times of crisis?
Trust the Process: God's at Work in Your Lowest Times

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who has done much in my heart and life - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth all of the rich blessings You pour out for me - I am undeserving.  I daily miss the mark - please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.

Daniel 11

Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time. v35

God either causes or allows us to stumble and for us to suffer the consequences of our actions and as result we are refined and purified – becoming more like Him. 

Through a vision, Daniel continues to hear God’s plans for Israel and Judah, including details of the tribulation.

We may not know what God has in store for us and we may not like the refiner’s fire, but it is for our good and His glory.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You have blessed me during all times – even when I felt times were difficult I can now see how You have done a work in me.  Thank You Jesus.  I am not worth all of the love and effort You pour out on me.  I worry and I am often harsh with my words and actions.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Please help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.

Ezekiel 39

Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord. v28-29

God's justice is not indiscriminate...it is purposeful and out of love.  Ezekiel is used by God to deliver not just a stern message about punishment but also a message of love - this is how chapter 39 ends.

God does not like being separated from His children as we were created to be in unity with Him - this is so from the beginning in the garden of Eden. Sin separates us from God and this separation is our own doing (see also v23-24).  

Yet God does not like being separated from His children so He gathers them to be near Him and offers unity with Him through His Son Jesus Christ - the greatest gift of all time.  We were created to be in unity with God to be His ambassadors for His purpose...any punishment should be seen through this lens as God works through us to prepare us for what He has in mind for us (see also Romans 8:28).

My Prayer: What an awesome God You are that You love me and sent Your Son Jesus to die for me so that I could be free from the sting of sin and death - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love Him.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

To stir up wrath and take revenge I put her blood on the bare rock, so that it would not be covered....Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided.

Ezekiel 24

To stir up wrath and take revenge I put her blood on the bare rock, so that it would not be covered....Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided. v8,13

God uses Ezekiel to give us another parable about sin...about the sin of Israel and our own sin.  We all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8).  In the Old Testament covenant, spilling of blood was required for atonement, and as such animal sacrifice was used.  In the New Testament, Jesus is the ultimate and final sacrifice through the shedding of His blood on the cross...no further sacrifice is required.  Unlike the Old Covenant where Israel's blood is not covered, Jesus covers and washes our sin away (Romans 4:7).  

Additionally, today God reinforces how we all need to be more like Him, and this requires sanctification - an often very difficult process where God sometimes uses harsh punishment and difficult circumstances to mold us into who He wants us to be - the refiner's fire.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who died on the cross for me - thank You Jesus.  You paid the ultimate price so that I would have life.  Thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such love.  I worry...far too much.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

How the precious children of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, are now considered as pots of clay, the work of a potter’s hands!...Your punishment will end, Daughter Zion; he will not prolong your exile.

Lamentations 4

How the precious children of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, are now considered as pots of clay, the work of a potter’s hands!...Your punishment will end, Daughter Zion; he will not prolong your exile. v2, 22

As Jeremiah continues to "lament" over the destruction of Jerusalem, we also see signs of hope, some of which point to our Savior Jesus Christ.

In verse 2, we see a reference to the Jews as pots of clay - fragile, of less esteem than pottery of more fine material (vs gold), disposable, yet created by and mold-able by God who so often uses difficulties as a way to shape and refine us into who He desires us to be.  See various commentaries on this here.  In the New Testament, Paul refers to persecuted Christians as "jars of clay" (2 Corinthians 4:7) "to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." 

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. 2 Corinthians 4:7-12

We should desire to be "jars of clay" so that others see Jesus in us.  No one desires to be broken but Jesus' words to Paul that "[His] grace is sufficient" should give us strength.

In verse 22, Jeremiah indicates that this exile is not permanent - see also my post from yesterday.  

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves us and who died for us - thank You Jesus!  What an amazing God You are - the gratest gift of all time!  I am not worth such love.  I am often harsh with my words and actions.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of cancer.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians.My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.

Jeremiah 24

Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians.My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart. v5-7

 
The Lord reveals to Jeremiah that those exiled to Babylonia should remain hopeful - that their affliction and punishment is for their own good and of course God's glory.  These people - as is the case with us - need further refinement as part of God's plan to use us for His glory.

See also punishment as training, discipline as training, and the refiner's fire.

"My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Hebrews 12:5-6

 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and Your discipline and punishment has produced fruit - thank You Jesus that You love me such that You desire to refine me versus throw me away.  Thank You Jesus.  I am not worthy of such love and grace.  I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Please help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. v23-24

We were all made in God's image (Genesis 1:27) and we exist to glorify God. We are also expected to experience spiritual maturity.  As such, David's thoughts here in this Psalm are something we should all strive to desire for ourselves - to be refined by God.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who has helped make me more in Your image.  Thank You Jesus for making me more patient, etc.  Yet I am not worth Your love and compassion - I am broken and I continue to sin.  I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Then the land had peace forty years.

Judges 5

Then the land had peace forty years. v31

In the book of Judges, the Israelites do as we all do...we do "evil in the eyes of the Lord". Thankfully, God has raised up for us a Savior in Jesus Christ who nailed all of our sin to the cross so that we would not be caught in the cycle of sin and shame and sin.  

We must be humble and allow Jesus to work in and through our lives - to be transformed to be more like Jesus.  

As I posted yesterday, we may not like what God is doing in our lives but He is always present with us, by our side, working in and for us, refining and training us.

Lord Jesus, please take my life and make me more like You.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God and You are my God. I am Your child.  I desire to be more like You.  I want to please You and glorify You.  Thank You that You loved me enough to not only adopt me as Your child but that You would go to the cross for me.  Thank You Jesus! I am not worth such love.  Please forgive me for my harsh words and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.

Deuteronomy 8

 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you. v5

Just as the Israelites were humbled and disciplined for their sins in the wilderness (v2-4), God has disciplined me for me sin and humbled me - helping me understand His greatness and my utter dependence on Him alone.

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. v3

We all go through periods where we are molded by God and often it is painful - but a necessary thing if we are to be who God intends for us.

See also posts here and here, including posts on how we go through a refinement process.

"My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Hebrews 12:5-6

 

This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. Zechariah 13:9

 

Lord Jesus, please help me not lose heart as You discipline me.

 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God - full of love and compassion for me - even as You discipline me - it is an expression of Your love for me.  Thank You for how You have molded me.  I love You.  Yet I am not worth such love.  I worry - please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold.

Zechariah 13

This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. v9

Zechariah's prophecy indicates that 2/3 of Israel will be unfaithful yet 1/3 will and it will be those who stand in the final days (see also MacArthur Bible Commentary).  This final remnant will be refined as gold.  In the same way, we are to be refined as we grow and mature into the disciples God calls us to be.  This refinement process is difficult but produces value - for God most importantly but also for us.

The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart. Proverbs 17:3

 

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:7-11

 

 We can take comfort in knowing Jesus will be with us in our trials and that is able to help us both endure and defeat both sin and death.

 

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33

 

My Prayer: Lord You are a great God, full of love and compassion for me...even though I know I am not deserving.  Thank You for Your many blessings and mercy, but please forgive me for my lack of patience and anger.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin and turn towards You instead.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself strength and wisdom.  Please cure Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.

Proverbs 22

Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far away. v15

Tuesday, I posted about fatherhood and parenting and once again this is our topic today.  As a parent we are train our children, most importantly in the ways of the Lord.  Part of this training includes discipline:

Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them. Proverbs 13:24

 

Discipline is something that all of us must experience, even as adults.  God continues to mold us and we experience discipline, hardship, punishment, etc. as part of God's refining process.

Yet you, Lord, are our Father.  We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God, full of love, compassion, patience, etc. for me - Thank You Jesus!  Yet I am not worthy of such love.  I am broken and I continue to sin.  Please forgive me for my lack of patience for others.  Help me overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure Lisa of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You alone as their Lord and Savior.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart.

Proverbs 17

The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart. v3

God created us and did so for a reason and all the days of our lives are ordained by Him (Psalm 139) for His glory and purpose.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

God is always molding us and preparing us for our next tasks.  

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

So, gold and silver are refined through the crucible, God refines us...we must be aware of how God is preparing us.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what a great God You are!  You are there always for me, full of compassion, mercy, patience, encouragement, training, wisdom, etc.  Thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such love and blessing.  I continue to lack patience and am quick to anger and slow to listen.  Please forgive me and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength. Help me love others as You do. Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Help me be aware of how You are training me.  Help me lead Zach and Dustin to You and that they choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve and lead my family and serve You and the church.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

Proverbs 3

My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. v11-12

I have had difficulties in my life and nearly all of the time I don't think of the difficult times as training, or that God is refining me by removing sin or impurities.  Accepting discipline or punishment as training or refining can only be done by renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2) because it is not an earthly way (Isaiah 55:8).

For seeing discipline as training, see also Psalm 119:71, Hebrews 12:5-6, Revelation 3:19. 

For more on the refiner's fire, see also here.

My Prayer: Lord, You are without a doubt, an awesome God - full of love, mercy, compassion, etc.  I know I am deserving of the many, many second chances You give me.  Thank You Jesus!  Please forgive me for not being the man You intend for me, for my anger and impatience, which continues to rage on.  Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.   Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. v23-24

We exist to glorify God - it is as simple as that. 

 

[The people] are the shoot I have planted,

the work of my hands,

for the display of my splendor.  Isiah 60: 21

 

If we exist to glorify God - if our mission is to glorify God, then we should have a vision to accomplish this, and we should seek God's guidance in prayer to ensure that our plan is aligned with His desires.  If we have a relationship with Jesus Christ and we have sought renewing of the mind by studying and knowing God's word, then we "will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:2).

 

Although we might not welcome tests such as those experienced by Job, we should have no problem asking God to test us, to perfect us, to refine us.  After all, this process will be good for us, pleasing to God and it helps us further our mission which is to glorify Him.

  

God - test me, purify me, refine me.

My Prayer: Lord You are an awesome God full of love and compassion for me...even though I very often lack compassion for others.  Please forgive me!  Thank You for Your patience but I am not worthy.  Please forgive me.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure Lisa of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.