RTWW 1: Refining Fire

Scripture: Zechariah 13:9

This third I will put into the fire;

I will refine them like silver

and test them like gold.

>

They will call on my name

and I will answer them;

>

I will say, “They are my people,”

and they will say, “The Lord is our God.”

Reflection

One of the struggles I’ve been learning over the past few years is that life is hard. Simple as it seems, this is honestly one of the biggest challenges I face. Growing up, I always thought life was easy, that God would bless me with a prosperous and straightforward life. Do well in school, get to a good university, get a good job, have money deposited in my account, get a wife, raise some kids and then retire peacefully. Little did I know that I would have to work hard - in all aspects of life. Whether it be in my academics, in my relationships, with God, friends, family, in my career pursuits, emotionally, and most important spiritually, the fantasy of an easy life has started to fall apart. One thing about me is that I hate failing, I’d rather give up / not start then to feel like I’m failing. Often times I’d ask if everything was worth it, what I was even working for. I would sit and contemplate all the time I’d sunk into the faith, all the times I would make the “right christian decision” even though it wasn’t what I wanted to do.

To be honest, 95% of the time when I would feel this way, I would keep thinking this way until the emotions faded away. However, on the rare occasion where I would think a little rationally and turn to God, I would be reminded of the concept of refinement by God. Approaching all my issues, I would always complain to God why I was the made the way I am. I would tell him that he made me wrong, he should have made me smarter, more hardworking, more loving, more faithful, more disciplined. But as psalms 139:16 says “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

God made us the way we should have been made. I must realise that a) the final destination for all who are saved is to be fully glorified and perfected, and b) it’s not about the destination, nor the journey, it’s about who we’re journeying with. As we continue to live on this earth, as we continue to struggle, to fail, to win, to laugh, to cry, in sickness and in health, know that we are being refined into who God wants us, and has promised us to be. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says that “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

My encouragement for you in the ups is to continue rejoicing in how God is refining you, and see how bright he is making you shine!

My encouragement for you (and me) in the lows is to keep crying out to God and to have him remind you of who’s image you are being made into. Pray that you will remember who Jesus is, and what he’s done for you.