38. The refining process – Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial

Numbers 2:7  For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He knows your going through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing.”

Job 23:10  But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold. My foot has held fast to his steps; I have kept his way and have not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my

Psalms 139:1  O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.

Zachariah 14:9   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.’”

1 Peter 1:6  In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him.

James 1:12  Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Revelation 3:19  Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

God knows our life inside out, what we think, what we do, where we go and He still loves us.  In this love, He will not condone sin.  He will not approve of that which is in our life that does not honor and glorify Him.  He will not bless our sin.  He will not lead us into sin.

He will test us. He will reprove our sin. He will expose our sin.  He will discipline us for sin.  He will convict our soul of sin. He will refine us. He will guide us.  He will lead us to a choice of repentance and stand at our heart’s door ready to take us in His loving arms.

Do we see “testing”, “refining”, and “discipline”  from God as a blessing?  Can we recognize His calling us out of our sin? Are we able to hear His calling?  If we hear His calling are we willing to open the door of our heart, soul, and mind and invite Him in? Do we live with anticipation of conviction, refining, confession, and forgiveness?

God has called us to holy humbleness service.  This side of eternity our life is a blessed refining process resulting in praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

If we choose to be complacent in our walk with Him and neglect time in His word seeking knowledge and understanding, how are we to escape punishment and curse?  Loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind is an intentional commitment that fully wants only to honor and glorify God in all that is thought, said, and done.  This intentional commitment lives with anticipation of wanting and being refined.  David said it like this: 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.

By your blood

Psalms 103:4  who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

Psalms 34:22     The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Psalms 56:13     For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

Psalms 71:23     My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed.

Job 33:19-30     “Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed and with continual strife in his bones,  so that his life loathes bread, and his appetite the choicest food.  His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out.  His soul draws near the pit, and his life to those who bring death.  If there be for him an angel, a mediator, one of the thousand, to declare to man what is right for him,  and he is merciful to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down into the pit; I have found a ransom;  let his flesh become fresh with youth; let him return to the days of his youthful vigor’;  then man prays to God, and he accepts him; he sees his face with a shout of joy, and he restores to man his righteousness.  He sings before men and says: ‘I sinned and perverted what was right, and it was not repaid to me.  He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light.’  “Behold, God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man,  to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be lighted with the light of life.

Revelation 5:9     And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,

James 1:12     Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

2 Corinthians 4:16     So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

To have sins forgiven is more important than physical healing.  What does it profit the soul to have perfect or good health if the soul is rotting away?  We tend to put blinders on when it comes to the health of our soul.  It is understandable why this can happen.  We can see and feel our physical state.  Our physical body is designed to let us know something is not right.  We feel pain.  We see the effects of something not being right.  Sometimes it is others who see it.  When it comes to our soul, how are we to know? The word of God.  In and through His word we are able to gain understanding of His holiness and our sinfulness.  His word is a light into our soul.  His word exposes the cancer that is eating away our soul.  His word brings healing to our soul.  Physical health has benefit for this life but spiritual health of our soul has benefit for eternity.

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!