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.

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. 

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.

Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored

Proverbs 13

Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored. v18

Punishment and discipline are often difficult to take - yet we must accept the consequences of our sin and understand that God is ALWAYS molding us by removing impurities.

Because God is all knowing, He is perfectly fair.

He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity. Psalm 9:8

We should not fear discipline or punishment - God does not stop loving us. In fact, He disciplines us BECAUSE He loves us.

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 3:11-12

 

"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

 

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Revelation 3:19

 We must also understand that God's word often reveals our heart condition as God's word is flawless (Proverbs 30:5), and it serves to both rebuke and train us on our journey to be transformed (Romans 12:2) and be more like Him.

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

My Prayer: What a great God You are!  I am so blessed to have a God who is so patient with me and whose discipline and punishment is with and from love.  Thank You Jesus!  I know You love me yet I also I am undeserving of such love.  I am lazy and harsh with my words and actions.  Please forgive me Jesus 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.  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.

Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your law.

Psalm 94

Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your law. v12

This is often a difficult message - that we should consider all discipline as training, and that God is removing our impurities and making us more like Him.


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

See also posts here.

My Prayer: Lord, Your righteousness reigns as perfect justice for those who love You and for those who reject You.  You know our heart and everything we do - nothing is concealed.  You are full of compassion and mercy and You often provide mercy when we don't deserve it.  I have experienced Your mercy myself - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such mercy as I continue to worry and be harsh with my words and actions.  Please forgive me and help me turn from such 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 today and every day. 

Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind....

Psalm 26

Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind....v2

The Bible is full of men and women who were tested by God - think of Abraham, Moses, Joseph (Genesis 37), Job, Ruth, Mary and Joseph, Peter, Paul, John, etc. We often think of tests as bad - something for which we must prepare for and expend effort.  No doubt this is true by tests also serve our good and God's glory by refining our faith and removing impurities as we become more like Jesus - see also here. 

We should all come to a place where we admit we need God, that we are "poor in spirit" (Matthew 5:3).  When we invite God into our lives and heart and He becomes our Lord and Savior, we must be prepared for God to work His will in our lives.  We must understand that God ALREADY knows everything about us, our sin, and our heart.  Key, however, is that we need to willingly turn over our lives and submit full control over our lives to Him - see also here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Lord of all, King of Kings, ruler of all the universe - seen and unseen.  You are great not only because of WHAT You reign, but also HOW You reign.  You left the right hand of God and took on human flesh, suffered and died for me, knowing everything about me.  Thank You Jesus for all that You are and for all that You have done and continue to do for me.  I am not deserving of such a God.  I continue to lack in patience, I worry, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from such 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 of chemo and radiation.  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. 

Whoever does these things will never be shaken.

Psalm 15

Whoever does these things will never be shaken. v5

Wow!  Great promise! This short chapter describes all the ways in which we must live for us to live on God's holy mountain.  Through the blood of Christ however, all can live with God and the Holy Spirit.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength  he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. Ephesians 1:18-21

It is impossible to be exactly like Jesus but God will mold us and purify us to be more like Him.

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

 

The result and the promise of "doing" the things Jesus asks us to do is awesome - we "will never be shaken".

 

My Prayer: Lord, You make awesome promises and You deliver every time!  Nothing but net...awesome!  I am so thankful to have such a God, but I am not worthy.  I continue to struggle with impatience and anger...please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome my sin and turn towards You instead.  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 and radiation.  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.