Heat That Refines

As DeEtta has said, "When the heat is on, it pulls back the curtain to reveal what's in our hearts." I have found that to be very true, and unfortunately, there have been many times that I don't like what the "heat" has revealed.

Recently, I found myself in a situation that brought out some not so attractive qualities that were in my heart: anger, fear, hurtful words, a bad temper... I thought that the Lord had helped me to deal with these sins, and He had. But, given the right circumstances, there was yet more sin in my heart, as there unfortunately always will be this side of heaven. But praise the Lord, not only for His precious saving grace, but also for His sanctifying grace.

In talking about the situation with my accountability partner, she gave me a verse. I Chronicles 28:20 says, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished." Here, David was encouraging Solomon in the building of the Lord's temple. Yet the Lord impressed upon me that now, we as believers are the Lord's temple. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you received from God?" (I Cor. 16:19). I felt the Lord encouraging me that I need not fear or be discouraged - He will not fail me nor forsake me but will continue the work He began in me (Phil. 1:6). I just need to cooperate with Him!

As I was referring to the verse in 1 Chronicles later, I came across another passage and related comment I had underlined in my Bible. 2 Chronicles 32:31 says, "...God left him (Hezekiah) to test him and to know everything that was in his heart." In my Bible, the commentary on that verse says: "A test can bring out a person's true character. God tested Hezekiah to see what he was really like and to show him his own shortcomings and the attitude of his heart. God did not totally abandon Hezekiah, nor did he tempt him to sin or trick him. The test was meant to strengthen Hezekiah, develop his character, and prepare him for the tasks ahead. In times of success, most of us can live good lives. But pressure, trouble, or pain will quickly remove our thin veneer of goodness unless our strength comes from God. What are you like under pressure or when everything is going wrong? Do you give in or turn to God? Those who are consistently in touch with God don't have to worry about what pressure may reveal about them." 1

Sisters, while we will never be perfect until we reach heaven, let us allow the Lord to continue His work in us here on earth - making us more and more like Jesus, so when the "heat" comes, it will reveal a Christ-like character.

Stacey Poplawski
WOC Graduate

1 Life Application Bible - NIV by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (c)1991

DIGGING DEEPER
James 3:10-12
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water." James 3:10-12