Just back from service and the title of my pastor's sermon this morning was "Going for the Gold" On an aside, if you live in the GTA and don't have a home church, visit http://www.harvestyorkregion.ca/ Solid Biblical preaching, God glorifying, Spirit led worship and a community that cares.
Speaking of gold, Pastor Paul pointed out that "you don't get a gold easily." The Olympics are around the corner and we all know that it takes years of practise to qualify and then to win that coveted gold. The value of gold is in it's purity, he said.
I once read that in the days of old, a good gold refiner would sit at the crucible and watch that the heat does not become even one degree too hot and possibly harm the metal. And as soon as he skimmed the dross from the surface and he saw his face reflected in the pure metal he would extinguish the fire.
God, Our Supreme and Loving Refiner also puts us into the crucible of suffering to test the purity of our faith and to separate the dross in our lives.
This past little while He turned the heat up on me. It is amazing that while it was getting hot, all I could do was run to Him and while it kept getting more painful, His presence and watchful eye never left me. He gave me promises from His Word and the family of God who prayed with me and loved me on. Sleepless nights, on my knees while He cleansed the dross of unbelief and doubt, of weak faith and fear. He built in me a Kingdom perspective of suffering and raised my eyes to Jesus.
I woke up this morning and sensed that I had turned this corner.
God is good, infinitely good.
Speaking of gold, Pastor Paul pointed out that "you don't get a gold easily." The Olympics are around the corner and we all know that it takes years of practise to qualify and then to win that coveted gold. The value of gold is in it's purity, he said.
I once read that in the days of old, a good gold refiner would sit at the crucible and watch that the heat does not become even one degree too hot and possibly harm the metal. And as soon as he skimmed the dross from the surface and he saw his face reflected in the pure metal he would extinguish the fire.
God, Our Supreme and Loving Refiner also puts us into the crucible of suffering to test the purity of our faith and to separate the dross in our lives.
This past little while He turned the heat up on me. It is amazing that while it was getting hot, all I could do was run to Him and while it kept getting more painful, His presence and watchful eye never left me. He gave me promises from His Word and the family of God who prayed with me and loved me on. Sleepless nights, on my knees while He cleansed the dross of unbelief and doubt, of weak faith and fear. He built in me a Kingdom perspective of suffering and raised my eyes to Jesus.
I woke up this morning and sensed that I had turned this corner.
God is good, infinitely good.
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