Refinement

Day 66: Refinement leads to beauty

Proverbs 17:3

“The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests hearts.”

         Have you ever watched someone use a furnace to melt metal? It is an incredible process in which intense heat is applied to refine metal. Throughout the process things are added to the metal and separate out the bad parts (dross), eventually leading to the purified metal. Upon pouring the liquid metal out into a mold it takes the shape of the vessel or mold it is meant to resemble. There are quite a few scriptures related to this process of refinement for us as humans. It is important for us to understand what refinement is defined as, as we seek to understand God’s Word. Refinement is a process in which small impurities are removed from an object, the improvement or clarification of something by making small changes, an elegance in behavior or manner, and finally a sophisticated or superior good taste.

         Over the course of my life, I have been refined into what I am today; so have you. We are a product of everything that we have been tested and refined to become. Each new experience has been intricately designed to test our response to the Lord. Jesus wants to know how we are going to react to different situations in life.

         As a schoolteacher, we give an enormous number of tests to our students. I would go as far to say we test more than we teach in our modern era of education; however, there is a good reason we spend the time testing our students. We are looking for evidence of learning. Tests reveal evidence of what has taken place. Jesus uses this world to test us. He is looking for evidence of who we are in Him.

         It is important for us to begin the process of understanding God’s heart for us. He is not trying to sit on high and strike us down, He simply is not like that, but He is looking to refine who we are in Him. This means He wants to remove the impurities within us, help us understand by providing clarity through His word, develop an elegance to how we would treat others, and teach us what is good in this world to consume. The Lord wants to refine us for His purposes. Over the next couple days, we will be looking at the process of refinement throughout scripture and taking a deep dive in understanding God’s Word about refinement. It is not for the faint of heart, but at the same time it is completely worth the refinement!

Dear Refining Father,

         Thank You for everything that You are doing in my life. I have been so incredibly blessed, and my life is full of beauty. I am surrounded by Your grace, and it is sufficient for me. At the same time, I know that You are refining me to make me into something better. Lord, I do not feel like I am enough. Every day I get up and I put in my best effort, yet I never measure up which is why I am constantly striving to get ahead in my life. Lord, as I continue to move forward and grow in my knowledge of who You are, I know You are testing me. I know You are seeking to remove this world and sin nature from my heart. I submit to that process with humble expectation that You would perfect my heart, my core belief, and transform my mind to see Your beauty in this world. I want to be transformed and understand who You are to be able to be used in the most effective way to execute Your will. Thank You Jesus for refining me. In Jesus Christ name I pray, Amen. 

Day 67: Refinement vs Brokenness

         It is important to distinguish the difference between refinement and brokenness. Refinement is a process that is different than brokenness in many ways, both are a part of the transformational process of renewing one’s mind. Refinement is the active process in which God works to change aspects of who we are throughout our lives, where as brokenness is the state of being we are in during moments of refinement. Without God breaking us down, we cannot become refined; without both refinement and brokenness present in our lives, we cease to grow as believers.

Consider these scriptures about refinement:

Proverbs 17:3: "The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests hearts."

Malachi 3:3: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord."

1 Peter 1:6-7: "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."

Job 23:10: "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I shall come out as gold."

  Psalm 66:10: "For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried."

Whereas these scriptures talk more about brokenness:

Psalm 34:18: "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Psalm 51:17: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."

Psalm 147:3: "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

Isaiah 57:15: "For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 'I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.'"

2 Corinthians 12:9: He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Matthew 5:3-4: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

We will explore these concepts in the upcoming days ahead but be warned that God’s scripture is not comfortable to engage with in our lives. It is meant to transform us through refinement, and it is possible that this may lead you to some breakdowns you did not know you needed in your life.

Dear Refining Father,

         Thank You so much for the difference between these two concepts, for while they look and feel similar, there is significant differences between the two of them. I know Lord that sometimes I am in a great place in my life, yet, You are still refining my heart to know You better. I desire to know You better than anything else in my life. You are all I need to sustain me. Thank You for the brokenness I can clearly identify in my life, now teach me how You have been actively refining me throughout my life and help me understand the power of submitting to Your furnace, for You will walk with me through it all. In Jesus Christ name, Amen.

Day 68: Royal Priesthood

Malachi 3:3

"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord."

         We know that the sons of Levi were Levi’s descendants, a tribe of priest that had the most direct access to God throughout the Old Testament up until God gave the Israelites a king. This priesthood was how the Lord communicated His desires to His people. So, the refinement process once went through men of a chosen background or inheritance, until the day that Christ came and died for us.

         As you begin the process of understanding refinement, not necessarily in a broken state, you can begin the work of understanding God’s true calling in your life to see the beauty that surrounds you daily. Upon accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you enter the “Royal Priesthood” following Jesus’ Words. Listen to the apostle Peter’s command regarding this: “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” This comes from 1 Peter 2:9, and the whole chapter points out that we are now different from this world. So be different.

         If we are to be different from this world, we will be refined differently too. This is a natural progression of Jesus’ original development of the sons of Levi in the Old Testament. There is significant purpose found for us in understanding the calling God has placed upon all our lives. We are slowly being refined when we allow the depth of scriptures to penetrate deep within our lives, removing impurities just like the furnace would metal. We have been given direct access to God, through Jesus’ resurrecting work from the Cross. Our refinement process began the day we accepted Him.

         We bring offerings of righteousness to the Lord by offering ourselves up as living sacrifices, this is a part of the process we go through in our lives. Hebrews 13:15-16 NLT continue to reinforce this shifting in our hearts, “Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.”

         We are a royal priesthood being refined by Jesus.

Dear Purifying Father,

         I am thankful for You! You have made me into a royal priesthood that matters in Your Kingdom. Lord, as I begin the refinement process with You, I can already see from the scriptures today that You have, are, and always will be the same. You come with a steadfast hand that is meant to guide us to Your beauty Lord. I will trust in Your Holy work in my life. I know that I am to offer myself up as a living sacrifice, so that others may see Your love for them through my trust in You Jesus. Thank You for purifying my heart and mind through the transformational process being played out in my life as I learn to see You in the 359˚ of beauty. Thank you, Jesus, Amen. 

Day 69: Rejoice through the trials

1 Peter 1:6-7

"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."

         Understanding this verse really helps you understand the refinement process that we face in our lives. Peter is telling us to rejoice in the fact that we are in a temporary trial because it will test the genuineness of our faith. Now our faith is from God Himself, and the trials we face is where our beliefs are tested. Do we trust God to provide the way through or out of the trial? This process is the “testing” while we are in a trial. These tests are generally short lived and can vary widely due to our own sin nature, how sin works through others in this world, or the enemy that is conspiring against us. Regardless of the trial we encounter we are slowly refined through the little things we face in this life.

         Examples of these refinements are important for us to consider. These refinements come through simple choices we can make that help us begin to see life differently. For men and women alike, this would be the trial of visual stimulation through seductive imagery. We must learn how to advert our eyes and choose not to dwell on those images. This is a testing of our faith; do we have our eyes fixed on Jesus?

         Another example is something many of us struggle with in our American Christian cultural experiences. We are always gathered around food. This often leads to overconsumption and gluttony. It is so subtle that it does not seem like much, but when is the last time you allowed yourself to fast and pray, because you can NOT miss a meal? Many of us have bought into a myth that is not biblically based.

         A final example of a trial would be how we allow our tongues to deceive us. Many of us face an onslaught of little lies we allow ourselves to believe. When we look in the mirror all we see is the flaws, or that little wrinkle. When we are talking about others, we fall into the temptation to talk about the person and why they did it versus our roles and how it made us feel. Litte trials like this vary widely and we must learn to see them when we are facing them.

         Beauty becomes apparent within the outcomes of the refinement process of our faith. The genuineness of our faith is considered more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire. Gold itself is perishable. Our faith is not perishable- it is eternal!!! The eternal faith refined will result in praise and glory and honor at the time when Jesus returns for us. Therefore, we can rejoice in these little trials and see the Glory of God, choose to honor Him, and praise Him for the blessing bestowed upon us.

Dear Refining Father,

         Thank You for putting me through various trials of all kinds. Help me understand and see your refinement process as something that is meant for my good, not to hinder me. Teach me how to rejoice in the trials and see You at work in my life every single day. Jesus, You are my delight and I will rejoice in the work You have set in my heart. Use this refinement process to show others how You choose to work in our lives, so that they may grow to understand and know You. Thank You Lord Jesus for loving us so well and promising us eternity through the refinement of our faith over time. In Jesus Christ name I pray, Amen.

Day 70: Refinement through Tribulation

Acts 14:22

“Strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “It is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God.””

         Okay, I know what you're thinking, what is the difference between a trial and a tribulation? That's a great question, let us take a moment and work to define both of those concepts. Trials are general test designed to grow our faith that does not last very long, whereas tribulations are something that lasts a significantly longer amount of time (long suffering), and/or has a general level of persecution contained within it. Most people do not try to distinguish between the two different forms of refinement because they are often used interchangeably used within various bible translations. However, it matters more than one would initially think regarding the refinement process.

         Tribulation has a profound and significant influence over our refinement as believers. When we are facing tribulation, we are faced with prolonged exposure to a source of pressure and/or heat. Just like in a forge, once metal is melted down, it can then be reshaped through a prolonged process of reheating, hammering, reheating, re-shaping, reheating, hardened, tempered, eventually honed, and/or polished. It is a long process of refinement to establish something useful within the tool being forged. The process God uses through tribulation is similar in nature. We go through it in our lives during periods of time where we are faced with tribulation.

         I have faced several periods of tribulation in my life. I once worked for several years for a person that I did not politically or spiritually align with, and it was a very challenging period as there was significantly much more faced than the simplicity of a little trial. Ultimately, due to those beliefs, I was forced to leave a place that I loved very dearly during a period of my life where change was the hardest to face because I needed stability. I was not looked favorably upon for taking care of my wife during a time where I was taking her to her oncology appointments; therefore, it became apparent that God was telling me to move on in my life. It made an already difficult situation significantly more difficult as I began looking for a job with a dying wife.

         Think about it, sitting in a job interview for a teaching position, all while knowing you have no idea what the next few months hold, trying to convince a new prospective employer to hire you. The refinement through that tribulation was extended pressure and heat being applied as I stepped out in faith and trusted the Lord to provide. This was at a time when I was still wrestling with my internal conflict of avoiding emotional anguish and did not realize it yet. My mind was a literal war zone. A battlefield of refinement, as I worked to take up my cross - dying to myself for God, all while trying to control and manipulate the situations I found myself by trying to maintain control of where the hammer hit next.

         The tribulations we face are long lasting periods of refinement that develop our abilities to withstand the onslaught of life that is often faced. Will we continue to choose God when the tribulation we are facing is relentless? We must be strengthened every day by the encouragement of those around us! We must remind each other that it is through these periods of time we are truly refined into better versions of ourselves and that God will be pleased with us.

Dear Refining Father,

         Thank You for today. Thank You for the refinement process of tribulation. I would simply not be who I am without You guiding me through all the little trials in my life, but more so Lord, the tribulations that You have carried me through that have profoundly grown me in ways I never thought possible. You have been there the whole time encouraging me to grow and be refined through long periods of suffering, enduring, and persevering in my life. Thank You for Your steadfast nature and the continual process of refinement through tribulations. Please continue to guide my heart as you see fit. In Jesus power and authority, amen.

Day 71: Unlearning to relearn…

Psalm 66:8-15

Bless our God, you peoples, And sound His praise abroad, Who keeps us in life, And does not allow our feet to slip. For You have put us to the test, God; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; You laid an oppressive burden upon us. You made men ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water. Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance. I shall come into Your house with burnt offerings; I shall pay You my vows, Which my lips uttered And my mouth spoke when I was in distress. I shall offer to You burnt offerings of fat animals, With the smoke of rams; I shall make an offering of bulls with male goats. Selah

         Biblical refinement can take significant time. It is a process of learning, re-learning, un-learning, and re-learning all over again. In our culture today, we do not want things to take time. We can order something from Amazon or through DoorDash and it will be at a door within a few short minutes. We no longer must wait for what we want, which is not good for our spiritual development. We have to unlearn the ways of our culture to relearn the ways that God works.

         Some of the most patient people I have met are the most spiritually disciplined people. They understand the value in waiting patiently upon the Lord. The refinement process of precious metals is a long-drawn-out process that takes significant time. It is about drawing out the impurities over the course of time making it as close to one hundred percent as possible. This scripture is talking about the process by which God blesses us and keeps us in the blessings of life. Then to purify us, He brings us into the net and lays burdens upon us. He causes others to rise above us and drives us through the trials and tribulations of our lives to strip away all that we know or think we know.

         When the Lord refines us, it is for our good. The process is difficult. This is how we can rest in the knowledge that everyone’s hard is hard for them. It is different for each of us because of how the Lord cares for all of us in our own unique ways. The refinement process takes time. It is not a quick fix situation in our lives. This is where other scriptures can help us process and praise what is going on in our lives, and it should drive us into deeper living sacrifices as we walk through this world, seeking God’s Kingdom and not our own. Take for instance Psalm 37:7-9 and how it tells us to rest in the refinement of the Lord without saying refinement, yet there is a promise for the refinement process as we wait patiently for Jesus.  

“Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not get upset because of one who is successful in his way, Because of the person who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and abandon wrath; Do not get upset; it leads only to evildoing. For evildoers will be eliminated, But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.”

Dear Patient Father,

         Thank You for granting me patience when I am walking through the refinement process. Lord, I want so much for things to happen quickly. I have gotten acquainted with getting things so quickly that I often fail to remember that You are a slow consistent force in my life that has perfect timing. I do not have to worry about what my life may contain or the refinement process because You are always faithful and true. Lord, I need to remember to be where my feet are and understand that the process of gain comes from Your steadfast resolve in my life to refine me into a more perfect version of myself for Your beauty to be revealed. Lord, I trust You in today’s refinement. Reveal Your beauty in explicit detail that would only serve to help refine me more as it removes what is impure in my life. Thank You Jesus for You are wise beyond my comprehension. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen. 

Day 72: Refinement by fire

Daniel 3:14-30

'Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully dressed in their pants, turbans, robes, and other garments. And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in. So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames.

But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?” “Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,” they replied. “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!” Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”

So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke! Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him.

They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon.'

Trust. Trusting that the Lord IS with you is a huge part of the refinement process. Jesus IS with you through the Holy Spirit, and that IS enough for you. Take a moment and think about who would walk through the fire with you in your life. “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12. Who is with You in your fire?

Dear Jesus,

         Thank You for being with me now. Thank You for walking through the fire and refinement process. Thank You for stories like that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were refined through their relationship with You. They stood together against all odds and strengthened one another through the refinement process. Help me identify the people that will stand with me in the fiery furnace of life. Let me seek them out and stand with them in their lives. Lord, I am thankful for the entire process of refinement, because I know I am being perfected for Your glory. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Day 73: Firepit friends

Job 23:10

"But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I shall come out as gold."

         If you have not read Job, it is a recommended read and study. The book of Job teaches you a lot about the life you lead, the friends you keep, and the hopes of a just God. You can see the nature of Satan being revealed throughout Job’s calamity, the sin nature of life in general terms, and ultimately the sovereign nature of the Lord. So, it is recommended to you to take a deep dive in the book of Job. However, I want to focus on the refinement process found in friends.

         My life has been full of various trials and tribulations. One of the most significant times of my life I could not go to church because I was a full-time caregiver of my wife and her health had declined to the point where she wanted me beside her 24/7. I had taken extended medical leave from work, and I had announced to my men’s group that I would not be able to make it the next few weeks as we sorted everything out at home. I was fully engaged in the storm on the home front. We knew what was coming, death. So, we embraced it as much as possible.

         The men in my life were not sure what to do to support us, so they did what seemed to be the most logical and biblical thing they could think of, they started meeting around a fire pit in my driveway. Over the five weeks while I was away from church, our meeting went from once a week to multiple times throughout the week as death came closer. The Lord had sent my men to surround us and encourage us, but they did something Job’s friends did not do, and to this day, I know that they were led by the Holy Spirit. They kept their mouths shut.

         They kept their mouths shut in the sense that they would just allow me to be and they listened to what God was doing each day they would come over. I do not remember them doing much to ever question why God was doing what he was doing, they simply listened and then dwelled on the notion of beauty that God was bringing about in my life. God’s men had no clue what to say to comfort, so they just showed up. Their presence was enough as they watched God work to refine me to the point of presenting my bride to the Lord. I was in the fire being refined in ways that still impact my life, and they walked with me. They walked with me through the testing of fire in my life.

         Many of them still walk with me today, and I have branched off and started a new group with new men in my life. I have been tested and refined. I have come out of it all with a pure resolve to serve the Lord in all that I do. The Lord knows the way I will take, he has tested me, and I have come out purer than before. I still have a significant way to go, but I know I can fully trust in the Lord for everything.

Dear Gracious Father,

         Thank You for the people in my life that have sat with me around my firepit in my driveway during the times of trouble. I cannot thank You enough for the people You have provided for me in my times where You have tested me to see the strength of my resolve. Jesus, I know I need people in my life that are going to walk with me through every fire and increase my faith in You. Please show me who those people are. Help me know that You remain sovereign and have a plan for the refinement you are putting us through. I love You Jesus, in You name I pray, amen.

Day 74: Where our minds dwell

Philippians 4:8-9 (NIV)

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

         God is good! All the time! This verse serves as a great illustration of what we should allow our minds to dwell upon. It shows us how we are to refine our thought process. By refining our thought process, we can truly honor the Lord in everything that we do. So, what do we think about? Truth!

         Truth is God's word. The very first thing that he lists in this scripture is that we are supposed to focus on whatever is true. According to the overwhelming amount of evidence that exists in this world, the Bible is and a book of integrity. It has stood the test of time and had minimal to no alterations to it from its original intent and writing. Which leads us to the next point of whatever is noble.

         Nobility is about where a person is born in social hierarchical society. However, thinking about noble things means that you have high moral principles and ideals and then hold yourself to refined personal qualities that would lead to moral and ethical integrity. This is a high calling! We must fix our minds on things that are naturally above where we operate in our daily lives. This means that we must fix our eyes on Jesus and the ideal life that He led for us to follow.

         The next few things that Paul tells us to think about are as straightforward as they seem. We are to focus our minds on what is right, pure, lovely, and admirable. These need no explanation at all. Yet, the next thing that is mentioned is anything that is excellent or praiseworthy. This includes everything that is right, pure, lovely, and admirable, but also includes so much more. If it's something that we appreciate or find joy in, we are to see those things as excellent and praiseworthy for they come from Jesus Christ himself and can be used to refine us.

         Our thought processes must be refined for us to grow in the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is where we ultimately must return all the things that we think about back to Jesus through prayer and thanksgiving. When doing so, we are refined and given a peace that transcends all understanding that will guard both our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus Himself. Sign me up for that!

Dear Refining Father,

         Thank You for all that You have done in my life to help me focus on the things above. You have led me where You have wanted me to go and brought me to this point in my life. I find that excellent and praiseworthy. Therefore, I am praising You for all that You have done that is any one or all the things listed in our scripture that is seen in my life. Jesus, You have given me so much to be thankful for in my life! I pray I will always praise You for the goodness You bring everyday and allow my mind to dwell on the things that come from Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Day 75: Imperishable

1 Peter 1:13-16 NLT

“So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.””

1 Peter 1:13-16 NASB

“Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly, and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, for it is written, “Be holy because I [am] holy.””

         To read these scriptures in the two different translations, one might think they are completely different scriptures. They are not just different ways of translating the same scripture, but glimpses into the slight nuance of meaning through the translation process. Thematically, they are the same, but nuance and meaning can be interpreted in different ways. This is why it is important to read and study multiple translations of the scriptures to interpret meaning. At times, with our modern technology, we can even have a breakdown of the original text in the Greek and Hebrew. This is just as important as studying God’s Word in context. Refinement is a process in which we must open our minds to various interpretations to allow God to write on our hearts what He wills and not our own understanding. Scripture tells us that we cannot always trust our own understanding for He is greater than us.  

         In examining these scriptures for how we are refined it starts off strong in that our minds must become prepared or strengthened. We must focus our minds on the source our hope and salvation, Jesus Christ, but more so on how we live daily. While we are focusing our minds on Jesus we are to do so with self-control (living soberly), this means that our minds must have discipline in pursuing imperishable things. This comes with a warning, do not revert to your former ways.

         Peter is telling us to be cautious and on guard in our lives. He understands our own sin nature and knows that we are prone to return to what is routine and comfortable to us, without even realizing we are doing it. This is why he is stressing our obedience in what we now know through Jesus Christ. We must prevent ourselves from slipping back into old habits and patterns that we had when we did not know any better. Refinement comes in understanding ourselves well enough to recognize our patterns of behavior and then make adjustments necessary to work towards becoming holy. Unfortunately, many of us believe that we can never be holy because of our propensity to sin so quickly. We will discuss this further tomorrow.

Dear Holy Father,

         Thank You for the opportunity to reconnect with Your Word again this morning. I know I need Your Word like I need food and water. It is more precious that gold or silver. Jesus, I am learning more every day and I want to honor You in everything I do. I am learning that I need to be disciplined in my approach with You and that You are teaching me a better way of living. I trust You Jesus. I want to have self-control and live ready to focus on Your will in my life. I do not want to slip back into my former ways of living, because I know that was without You Jesus in my life and it just does not work without You. Please help me love others like You have loved me. Help me focus my life in everything I do to be honoring to You Jesus. In Jesus Holy Name I pray, Amen.

Day 76: Covered by Holy Blood

1 Peter 1:17-20 NLT

“And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.” For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.”

         Our Father has no favorites. Such an interesting concept for us to wrap our brain around as it is not how we tend to operate in our worldly view. We often see others in this world living different ways and we render judgement over them based upon what we see from the outside looking in, yet God renders judgement looking from the inside out. Even though God can see into the heart of a person this scripture tells us something significantly important about our actions; we will be judged by what we DO.

         Our actions are what will decide our judgement from Jesus. This has a lot to do with our fears because often we are driven by what we believe and our fears are the things that subconsciously drive our responses. This is why Peter is directing our fear onto the appropriate place to drive our responses/reactions in this world. He is reminding us to fear the Lord during our temporary time on earth. Now, he is specific about what type of fear to have, a reverent fear. This means a worshipful or deeply respectful regard to the Creator of everything in ALL that we do. We are merely dust and ash that He has given life to, and it is our responsibility to remember our place and be thankful for grace.

         All of this is possible through a cost that was more valuable than the most precious metals in all the world. Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and subsequent resurrection covers us in our sin when we go to the Father in prayer. All of this is important for how we are to be refined in our lives. Understanding our place is important but also understanding that Jesus has already stepped in on our behalf to secure a place for us in heaven with Him is liberating. Refinement comes from the slow formation of new beliefs within our hearts through studying God’s Word daily. We begin to see the world through God’s eyes as he opens us up to see His beauty always surrounding us. Thank God that Jesus has been revealed to us!

Dear Judging Father,

         Thank You Jesus for Your work on the cross, choosing to die for us while we were sinners. Thank You for loving me despite all the things I have done in my life that I am ashamed of. Jesus, I know You have forgiven me, but sometimes I live with an inappropriate fear of You. I know You are a warrior, but I must remember that You can soften the hardest of hearts and help change me from the inside out. Jesus, I want to anchor myself in You today because life is hard. I want liberation to be a byproduct of Your refinement in my life. I want to respond with a reverence of You in my mind and heart. I want to honor You in everything I do. Jesus, please help me make You proud when it comes time for You to judge the work of my hands in this temporary place. I love You Jesus and want those around me to love you too. In Jesus authority and power, I pray, amen.

Day 77: Refinement’s indicator is love for others

1 Peter 1:21-25 NLT

“Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever.” And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.”

         One of the reasons why I love reading multiple translations is that it allows me to see the nuances of meaning within the context of the scripture. Today’s verses really help us understand the differences between the NLT and NASB. Each time I go to read scripture I tend to lean towards the NASB because of how accurately they attempted to keep it to the original language’s intent and context; however, the NLT is the version in which my church teaches our children out of because contextually it flows and is slightly easier to understand. I think it is important to stick to the original context and read various versions to keep yourself aware to God’s overall intention.

         In this scripture, we understand that Jesus is the reason we have hope in God because He rescued us from God’s wrath in our sin nature. We had to confess in Jesus, through Jesus, for Jesus to secure our eternal hope and promise. After securing our hope in Jesus, we have a task to do. We MUST show sincere love to each other. A significant indicator in the refinement process is your ability to show love to others without grumbling or complaint, especially with those around us that tend to be triggers for us.

         Check this scripture out again in a different translation:

1 Peter 1:21-25 NASB

“who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Since you have purified your souls in obedience to the truth for a sincere love of the brothers and sisters, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All flesh is like grass, And all its glory is like the flower of grass. The grass withers, And the flower falls off, But the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word which was preached to you.”

         I hope you can see the value of reading multiple versions of scripture. It can be subtle or drastic differences at times, but the concepts because of word choice can open our eyes to significant insight into our own personal refinement. Think about it; to know we went from something perishable to something imperishable because of Jesus’ resurrecting power, it changes the one’s overall interpretation of the scripture. Ultimately, what I get from this scripture is that we must learn how to love others well, because we are now eternal beings through Jesus Christ’s power and authority that are meant to live IN God’s Word. The reason I say we are to live IN God’s word is because of how it changes us the more we seek to understand it.

Dear Imperishable Father,

         Thank You that You have made us eternal through Jesus Christ. Thank You that You have forgiven us where we have failed You. Thank You that all of us stand the same in that we are all sinners and fall short of the Glory of God and we need a Savior to protect us from Your wrath. Today I am beginning to understand the power of seeking Your word in its nuanced depth through multiple sources. It helps me understand my own process of refinement. I am thankful for the indicators Your word is telling me that I must have in my life to know I am being refined. Lord, You make it abundantly clear that a direct result of our refinement in You will be demonstrated in how we love others. So, Jesus, help me carry out love in this world through You. Thank You Jesus, Amen.

Day 78: True Refinement

Romans 12:2

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

         True refinement comes from being created into a new person. We become new people in how we think about things. The process of transforming our minds is the central theme of 359˚ of beauty. 359˚ of beauty is all about learning how to shift your mind onto a new set of perspectives given to us by God. It is meant to help you learn how to shift your perspectives in the moment unto Jesus and His authority and remove worry and anxiety from our daily walks. It is not an easy process, but it is one that is wholly worth it. You may think that you have already been created into a new person, and that may be true, but that does not mean that God is finished with you yet. If you are still breathing and living, there is good work established for you to do! You may need to be a newer creation to be able to accomplish the goals determined for you by Jesus Himself.

         In the depths of my chaos, brokenness, and subsequent rise from the ashes of my life, I learned some very significant and valuable lessons through the process of refinement. My mind shifted in significant ways. The Lord Jesus gave me a glimpse of what life was going to be without significant relationships in my life to hold me accountable to the truth of God’s word.  I had hidden myself behind God’s word and used it wrongly to keep people away from my heart. I had assumed so much emotional anguish in my life that I did not care if I entered a new relationship. I was mission oriented on raising my daughters and putting them first. Through all these things, God needed to transform my mind yet again into a new creation. Therefore, He sent people for me to intercept and provoke the necessary shifts in my life to bring me to where I am today.

         Essentially, I was copying one of the behaviors of this world and not letting God transform me according to the richness of God Himself. 359˚ of beauty was from God, but I was refusing to learn the true lessons behind it. I had to allow myself to feel the beauty surrounding me, not just see God’s beauty. It had to become the essential driving force of everything I do. It is the work I know God has called me to do in my life like Ephesians 2:10 NASB says, “'For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

         I needed the transformation of Jesus in my mind to do the good work He has ordained me to complete. I needed to have my mind transformed, renewed, and I needed to allow God to make me into a new creation all over again. God has not disappointed or refused to answer, it had just taken tons of inner room time spent in God’s word for it to become the reality in which Jesus centers my life around. I can tell you that the process is absolutely worth it and that I have found peace and strength that I never knew existed in this life.

         Take the time, engage the Father, seek Jesus first, and trust the Holy Spirit to be your guide.

Dear Sustaining Father,

         Thank You for teaching me how to see Your beauty, but more so, how to feel Your beauty in my life. I know that I want to experience the life change mentioned above, but I am unsure how to get there myself. I know it will come through redefining myself through Your word. I need You Jesus to step into my life and reveal the truth of what needs to become a new creation within my heart. Lord, I welcome Your refinement, Your true refinement of my mind. Help me, rescue me. As Your word says Lord in Psalm 34:4, “I sought the Lord and He answered me, And rescued me from all my fears.” Thank You for the rescue that is already here. In Jesus name, Amen. 

Day 79: Temporary Discomfort

1 Peter 1:3-9

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time. In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of [your] faith, the salvation of your souls.”

         Have you ever had a splinter in your finger or hand? I have. Unfortunately, I have had them too many times to count in my life. Every time I get a splinter, I have had to work feverishly to remove it. Most of us likely would as we know it is a foreign substance in our body that we actively know does not belong. We are willing to put up with temporary discomfort for a period knowing that it is what is in our best interests in moving forward through our lives.

         In contrast, have you ever had a kid with their first splinter? The drama associated with all of us during the time of our first splinter is likely the most traumatic experience of our lives. We must connive and cajole the inner child that is full of fear to become a calm presence and allow us to apply temporary discomfort for long term benefits. Often, we must tell the child to look away and trust us in that we know what we are doing as we work to remove the splinter. The child must have enough trust in the person to allow them to remove the foreign object.

         Our lives are the same, especially when we experience something uncomfortable that sticks with us for a time. Just like the splinter in our hand, our spiritual life faces discomfort and trials for a little while to show the genuineness of our beliefs in God. We must suffer through various things and come out of the others side slightly changed, but with joy that becomes indescribable and almost inexpressible. This process leads us to what we have already attained through Christ Jesus, yet we are waiting for the alignment of our time and His to catch up with the promised salvation of our souls. The timing of this in our lives will be perfect. This process is one meant to refine us in His perfect timing, but we must be willing to stay calm and hand over our hand to the Father for Him to do the work.
        Now, if you reread the scripture above and think about the splinter, you will see a place where God did something for you in a time that should make you trust in His plan over yours.

Dear Splinter Remover,

         Thank You Jesus for being a careful physician in my times of need. I have been able to hand my hand over to You time and time again and You Lord have worked feverishly to help me get the foreign object out of my life. You have been refining me through the trials I have faced, and they have made me see You even more. Thank You for taking the time to carefully consider me. Who am I but dust and ash that You would choose to love me like You do. You are a gracious Father that sees Jesus’ blood covering me in my life and You call me Yours. Thank You Jesus for dying on the cross for us all. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Day 80: Arrogantly never enough

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

“Because of the extraordinary greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

         As you walk out your faith and trust in Jesus, you will learn that your sin nature can be subdued. When we appropriately apply God’s word to our lives it has the power to completely transform us as we are new creations in Christ Jesus. Today’s scripture is particularly interesting in that Paul was giving his personal testimony to the Church in Corinth. Paul is acknowledging the power of the Holy Spirit in his life. With the power that the Holy Spirit had enabled him to see Christ and teach others, it also came with a thorn…

         Now, we do not know what Paul thorn was, but what we can surmise is that it was intentionally placed there for his personal refinement. Paul’s own words here are very important as he was acknowledging the power of God to regulate his own arrogance using a messenger of Satan to torment him. I suspect this messenger was there to combat his arrogance in that Paul chooses to focus on the opposite of arrogance. He addresses this thorn by pleading with the Lord to remove it three times and God responded by saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” It is my belief that we can infer that Paul was dealing with a thorn that was constantly reminding him that he was likely not enough.

         Think about it, in our arrogance, we tend to think we have got it altogether and we do not need help. We can do things with our own power. With this type of mentality, we would not need grace… Therefore, it is reasonable to infer that the messenger was constantly telling Paul that he wasn’t enough… that he was insufficient… his past was too much for grace to overcome… no matter how much he tried or “worked” he would never overcome everything… Does this sound familiar to anything you are personally wrestling with? Have you ever pleaded with the Lord to remove “doubt?” Have you rededicated your life to Jesus multiple times because of these feelings? This is where the power of our weaknesses becomes a significant part of our refinement. I know this has been a significant part in what God has been teaching me through my refinement journey.

Dear Weakness Perfector,

         Lord Jesus, Thank You. Thank You that Your grace is sufficient for me. Thank You that I can boast in what I am not good at. Thank You for granting me knowledge to know You are enough for me. Father, I know You are refining me. I feel Your presence every day. I know You are with me. Yet, sometimes I also feel like I am never enough for You. My thoughts take me captive and I doubt that I am doing the right thing or I’m in Your will. Lord, I see this in myself and I am asking for Your help to have confidence in You that You are perfecting my weaknesses. Jesus, I trust You. Instead of asking You to remove my thorns Lord, I am asking You to use them to refine me to be what You need me to be in Your Kingdom. Lord, use my weaknesses to love You and others. Thank You for the work You are doing in my life Jesus. In Jesus Christ’s authority I ask to be used for His purposes, amen.

Day 81: Weaknesses refine us

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

“And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

         No man wants to admit he is weak. Paul learned to understand that it was through weaknesses that God’s strength was on full display in his own life. Where he was inadequate, God showed up and showed out in his life. This is a part of refinement in our lives. Our weaknesses reveal areas where God’s beauty can be on full display for all to see.

         My life has been hard, really hard at times. For a significant portion of time, I found myself in completely unnatural roles as I was forced to assume roles where I know I was never designed to fulfill. The greatest area of my own personal weakness was in the role of assuming motherhood. Raising two daughters on my own without my spouse has been one of the hardest and most humbling experiences of my life.

         I probably made things significantly harder for myself when I informed both my mother and mother-in-law that I wanted them to maintain their natural roles of grandmothers. I know in a sense it hurt their hearts, but I wanted to protect them and the role that God had given them to play in my daughters' lives. In their honor, they responded with grace and have been ultra respectful of that request, which has been one of the greatest blessings in seeing my weaknesses fulfilled by Jesus Himself. When they submitted to that request, they allowed God to do things in supernatural ways within my life to teach me more about who He is. The girls have also seen a father that feels completely inadequate rely on a God that IS more than enough for us. Their respect and honoring their natural roles as grandmothers and not stepping in to fulfill the hole left in their granddaughters’ hearts have allowed God to significantly move. I am proud of both of them and I praise God for their faith and trust that He would provide for the girls through my imperfections.

         I faced weakness, my own insults of my failings as a father/mother, distresses, difficulties, all the things which I was not meant to do alone. I complicated things by not knowing how or where to ask for help. When we don’t know what we don’t know, it is hard to know when and where to ask for help. Yet, this is where the nature of God has shown me that I can take delight in all these things. God has and continues to dwell in my life due to the overwhelming nature of who the Holy Spirit is. Jesus has stood in the gap through the Holy Spirit and given me a discernment I was not designed to have so many times I know the power and the truth of God intimately. When I do not feel like I can, Jesus does. When I feel like I am inadequate, the Holy Spirit intercedes. When I feel like I am done, God steps in and keeps me going.

         He does the same for you in your weaknesses too.

Dear Sustaining Father,

         Thank You for so many things in my life. I am overwhelmed with gratitude in how I can do so much more than I thought I would ever be able to do with You guiding my steps Jesus.  Lord, there have been so many times when you have revealed Your nature and provision in my life that have left me overwhelmed with Your goodness. I know You are real as You always show me the way, perfect my weaknesses, and cover me with Your grace. Lord, I want to boast in You. Reveal to me areas where I will see Your power and grace in abundant sufficiency where I can praise You for all that You are doing in my life. Jesus, Thank You for saving me and going so far above to provide for me in my weaknesses. In Jesus Christ name I pray, Amen.  

Day 82: My Personal Refinement

1 Peter 3:15 NASB

“but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, but with gentleness and respect;”

         I have learned throughout the years of my own personal refinement there is significant power in the truth of being honest with everyone, including myself, about the journey I am travelling on. This verse has served as a personal anchor in this refinement process. What I learned was the importance of being ready to share in the hope that we have. Notice this, we are to defend our hope with gentleness and respect. So, what is our hope?

         I tell students that my favorite quote is “But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:12-13. I believe that if students can find their faith, they will understand what hope is, and that will lead them to the greatest source of love in their lives, Jesus. I believe that the scripture above does the very same thing in that we are to sanctify Jesus in our hearts, which is our faith, our core beliefs that anchor us. Then we are to be ready to defend our hope. Finally, we are to do so with love which is manifested through gentleness and respect.

         All of this serves my motivation to always try to be an open book with people. We should walk so closely to God that we understand there is no condemnation in Christ (Romans 8:1), therefore, we should not necessarily feel shame from our past sin, but a deep appreciation towards the Lord Jesus for the hope that is within us from our beliefs in Him. Which is where my personal refinement has infiltrated my life in deep ways.

         This verse has driven me to figure out what it is that I hope for in this life. This question is refining in that it forces us to seek understanding through God’s Word to define our hope through our faith. Hebrews 6:19-20 NASB says, “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and reliable and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” Along with Revelation 21:4 “and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” My hope is in the promises of Jesus that are still yet to come in our lives. It is an eternal hope that drives me forward regardless of my present circumstances. It is in my ability to see the 359˚ of beauty surrounding me instead of the 1˚ in front of me. It is through my own personal refinement I have found the way to be ready to give a defense of the hope within me. My hope being distilled down to a simple notion, I hope that I can walk with God in eternity, that He would say He loves me, and that He gives me a white rock with a new name on it…

Dear Personal Refiner,

         Thank You Jesus for loving me so well. Thank You for refining me to be prepared to share Your truths in this world by giving me a hope that transcends my circumstances in life to an eternal perspective. You have promised an existence with You in a new heaven and new earth where we will walk with You. It is by Your grace that we have been saved through our faith. That saving grace Father provides a hope and strength that I do not always understand, but I know it is through Your provision and love that I am anchored in You Jesus. Thank You for the Holy Spirit being present to drive my actions and help me understand the personal refinement process better. Thank You Jesus for the hope and promise of what is to come. In Jesus name, Amen.

Day 83: Core beliefs refined then protection comes

Psalm 12:6-8

“The words of the Lord are pure words; Like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, filtered seven times. You, Lord, will keep them; You will protect him from this generation forever. The wicked strut about on every side when vileness is exalted among the sons of mankind.”

         We all face a tremendous number of trials in our daily walk in our modern world. The tendency for us to make ourselves busy and filled with noise is enough to drive a person crazy. We don’t take time to be still or to even process our own emotions long enough to understand what we are truly feeling in our hearts and minds. All these things were probably true several thousand years ago when this Psalm was first written, because this Psalm feels appropriate for today’s time and culture. As this verse suggests, God’s Word must test our core beliefs to show us worthy of endurance. So, what does that look like in a practical sense?

         God’s Word is a tool meant to reveal aspects of our lives that we need to submit to Jesus’ will for us. Think about it for a moment, how many times have you read the same verse throughout the years and every time you have read it something new has always revealed itself based upon where you were at during the time you read it. I know for me that has happened more times than I could possibly comprehend and I still miss so much about what I read. This is because God’s Word is alive and constantly adapting as we grow in our knowledge of how to apply it to our lives. This is why this verse says His Words are pure and filtered seven times and then kept by the Lord.

         As we continue to grow in our exposure and understanding of God’s Word, we tend to think less of ourselves and more about others. Even when we face trials you will find yourself focusing more on others than yourself as a natural by-product of your time with Jesus. Why is this the case? While we were yet sinners, Jesus died for us. He thought about us. He deeply cares for others. When we focus on His Words, we will naturally focus less on ourselves and more on others. Remember, He will leave the 99 for the 1. As much as we want to be the 1, we should also desire to be the 99 that sit securely in Him while He seeks the 1.

         As we grow, our core beliefs will deepen in God’s Word. Unfortunately, many of Christ’s followers do not long for the depth of refinement that God’s Word brings when we begin to love it for what it is, a love letter to our souls. This is highlighted in scripture,

Hebrews 5:11-14

“Concerning him we have much to say, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become poor listeners. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the actual words of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to distinguish between good and evil.”

         God’s Word offers us protection in our lives when we allow ourselves to be refined by it. It is as useful as pockets, when we carry it around with us, we can be refined to see the world through a different lens, and it makes all the difference in how we walk throughout our lives.

Dear Life-giving Father,

         Thank You for the power and pureness of Your Word. It is a lamp unto my feet. It is where my help comes from. Your Words Father give me such hope and joy. I rejoice in Your truth Jesus. You have said You have forgiven us for our sins and covered us with the blood of Jesus so that we may be reunited with You in eternity. Lord, Your eternal protection given to us gives us life beyond our comprehension. Jesus, we must trust in Your Word and love You with all that we are. Please help me hide Your Word deep within my heart and mind and use it to refine my core beliefs. Grant me the ability to see others more as I seek to love You with all that I have. Thank You Jesus, Amen.

Day 84: Being refined is for the mature

Hebrews 5:11-14

“Concerning him we have much to say, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become poor listeners. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the actual words of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to distinguish between good and evil.”

         This verse is a hard-hitting verse; however, I would recommend that you listen to it… Yeah-, my silly sense of humor there, sorry not sorry! Many times, we are poor listeners when it comes to scripture. Think about it, how many commentaries or sermons do you listen to about the scripture? How many questions are you actively answering about a verse or even contemplating how that scripture is applied in your life? We must learn how to listen to the Word of God. God’s Words are relatively simple to understand, yet, we try to overcomplicate them and add things that are often not there.

         The writer of Hebrews is considering the teachings of Christ to be basic and simple to understand. We know there is complexity in seeking to understand the nature of God, but the overall teachings are simple. Listen to this-

• Rules were established to keep us walking with God

• man breaks the rules

• God cannot walk with Man anymore because of the rules being broken

• God makes an imperfect covering for man

• Man multiplies and sin nature increases

• Man needs an example for man to follow, so Jesus Christ came to lead the way

• Jesus lives perfectly

• Jesus is crucified to stop God’s wrath from coming over us because of our sins

• Jesus forgives us

• Jesus offers us a free gift of grace to those who would believe

• We accept the gift, endure life, and go to walk with God in heaven

This is straightforward and uncomplicated. Yet, we tend to think that there is so much more to the refinement process and seeking God’s beauty than the simplicity of asking a simple question like, “God, where is Your beauty in this?” We need to crave the solid nourishment of the Lord! When we are refined by the simplicity of the Gospel, we can discern the difference between right and wrong, good and evil.

         The refinement process leads us to maturity in ways that we don’t just believe in the truth, but we trust in the truth in such a way that it drives all our actions. We can sit and listen to God’s Word (without all the commentaries such as this!), and we allow Him to apply it to our lives in tangible ways. This is why refinement is meant for the mature. We are refined by God’s Word, and we live in it without overcomplicating it. Jesus made it super simple with His refinement of all the commandments. He said the first is love God with all your heart and soul. The second is like it, Love others like you love yourself, and as you go make disciples teaching them the first two commandments. This is the simple meat that is meant to nourish and enrich our lives.

Dear Enriching Father,

         Thank You for Your Word and how simple you have ultimately made things. I am asking You Lord to help develop my maturity in Your Word. Move me past the elementary principles of life to the nourishing Words You freely give to us. It is sharper than a double-edged sword penetrating through humanity. Thank You Jesus for Your grace and our ability to discern what is right and wrong. In Jesus name, Amen. 

Day 85: Refinement is understanding others

Proverbs 14:29 NIV

Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.

Proverbs 14:29 NASB

One who is slow to anger has great understanding; But one who is quick-tempered exalts foolishness.

Proverbs 14:29 NLT

People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.

         Refinement is a process of patience. When we are refined it takes time. In our culture we a want things to happen quickly. We can order anything with a click and within a week, likely that product will arrive. Long gone are the days when it took months of development to produce a product. With this process in our lives taking less and less time, our level of being patient in the process has become a victim of our consumer culture.

         Refinement is one of the processes that takes significant time for us to grasp what is going on in our lives. We will not get to the intended outcome quickly. If we are to grow, we are to embrace the process. The process is going to take time. Our understanding comes when we decide that we will not be impatient with the process.

         One of the byproducts of impatience is anger. In our sin nature, we tend to get angry when things are not going the way we expect them to go, or when people do not do what is expected of them, we will get frustrated. Learning to deal with anger and frustration is one of the greatest sources of men’s refinement. We all feel disrespected when things are not going the way we expect them to go and we often act quickly without much thought or understanding.

         A huge part of the refinement we face is in our marriage relationships. Refinement is found in the entire process. Men- since we are to die first, let us first look at this refinement process in scripture:

1 Peter 3:7-

In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.

Who wants their prayers hindered??? Now, wives- it’s your turn:

1 Peter 3:1-6-

In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over by observing your pure and reverent lives. Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They put their trust in God and accepted the authority of their husbands. For instance, Sarah obeyed her husband, Abraham, and called him her master. You are her daughters when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do.

Each of us has significant refinement through understanding one another. This is the primary relationship in which deep refinement comes. The best advice to give in a time like this is to pray with others. Authentic prayer will help accelerate the refinement process. Ultimately, we have to seek Jesus for that refinement to happen. Our relationships are key to helping us move forward and being slow to anger and seeking to understand others will help us have greater understanding. However, how much understanding can we really have with each other given that we all experience uniquely different paths in our lives?

Dear Understanding Father,

         Thank You for Your understanding and patience as we work out our relationships with understanding. You are using others to refine us, and it is our responsibility to control our responses in life. Your word instructs us that understanding and wisdom comes from being slow in our response and we desire to honor You with our responses. We want refinement and we realize that it comes through our relationships most frequently. Let us honor You in those relationships Jesus by returning each of our relationships back to You. Thank You Jesus for seeking a relationship with me and being patient with me. You are so gracious. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Day 86: Products of true refinement

Galatians 5:22-26

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit as well. Let’s not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.”

         As we walk in the Spirit of truth and transform our minds through the Word of God we should develop the fruits of the Spirit. These are the things of God that should become abundantly evident in our lives. People will be able to identify these things and see them so clearly that they know you by your walk throughout this life.

         I have many people that I look up to in this life. There is a person I know that has been refined by the renewal of their mind and their heart is truly beautiful. They embody love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. As I have walked with them shoulder to shoulder, they are encouraging me and challenging me to become a better man every day. They do not even realize how much they have challenged me, because it is a natural by-product of their own refinement. This is how the Spirit works within us.

         When we allow God to do His work within us, we are naturally making disciples. We need to be active in the process, but we have a natural ability as those around us get to know us to influence their hearts and minds. We must be careful in how we are walking, ensuring that we have no lack of gain. How we do that matters more than we realize; we must be disciplined in our approach to God. We must seek Him wholeheartedly. The person I am referring to has learned to walk very close to God and they have and are experiencing beauty rising from ashes. It is one of the most beautiful inspiring things to share in this life. The rising and rebuilding of dreams from what was once destroyed.

         God’s Word describes people like this: “And the Lord will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. “Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.”” Isaiah 58:11-12

         The people that we encounter in our lives that truly embody the fruit of the Spirit through the refinement of life are the ones that fulfill the promises found in Isaiah 58. They are everything that can inspire us to believe that God will refine us to bring life into this world. We have that ability by walking with Jesus, daily dying to ourselves, taking up our cross, and following the One who ordains and establishes our steps. I thank Jesus for the people in my life that inspire me to walk with Him so closely that I know Him intimately. Who are your people that would grow you into what God has called you to become in Him? Seek Him and you shall find them…

Dear Fruitful Father,

         Thank You for all that You have created within me. Thank You for the development of fruit through Your refinement in Your Word. Lord, Thank You for the people that You have put in my life to refine me through the fruit You have developed in them. I want to know You better every day. I need you more than I could possibly understand. I want to be like the well-watered garden bearing much fruit. I know I can only be that way through You Jesus. I know I can only be called a rebuilder and restorer of that which was destroyed through the work You are calling me to do. Allow me to chase after and love You Jesus with all that I have, to love others well in this life, and to make disciples by the way I walk out my faith in trust in You Jesus. Thank You Jesus for making all this possible. Amen.

Day 87: Refined so we are saved from wrath

Isaiah 48:9-11

“For the sake of My name I delay My wrath, And for My praise I restrain it for you, In order not to cut you off. “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.”

         There is so much more about the refinement process that we could discover throughout all of scriptures, but this is probably one of the most revealing versus about refinement. This explains the necessity of refinement in our lives. God loves us so much He wants to save us from His own wrath. God is sovereign and righteous while we are sinners and unworthy. This verse illustrates the clearest need for us to be refined, to sanctify us which in turn saves us from God’s wrathful justice.

         Delayed wrath is what we are all being saved from in our lives. We just do not fully realize it. When you talk to most Christians and ask them a simple question you get a surface level milk-based response. The question you can ask that reveals a deeper understanding of the refinement process in people is to ask them, “What are we being saved from?”

         What do you think you are being saved from? Most likely the answer is your sin. While surface level that is a byproduct of the salvation experience, it is not the actual event we are being saved from. We are being saved from God’s wrath towards our sin. Sin has significant consequences for us to face. In fact, God gives us over to sin if we refuse to seek Him in our lives. Scripture teaches us these truths in Romans 1:24-25, “Therefore God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for falsehood and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”

         On the surface, refinement throughout our lives serves to protect us from God’s wrath, but it is NOT refinement alone. It IS refinement THROUGH Jesus’ GRACE alone and not by our WORKS. Refinement is the process through which God purifies our hearts. We are covered by Jesus’ sacrifice in an absolute sense, but God still wants what is best for His creation. He wants us to live in fullness, understanding that we lack NOTHING. (See Psalm 23:1; Psalm 34:10; John 10:11; Philippians 4:19). Therefore, refinement purifies our hearts and allows our hearts to be fully written upon by Jesus Himself.

         I know- why didn’t He just do that from the beginning? He did… but He gave us a choice, and we chose the hard way. Now, He uses the refinement process to redefine the nature of who we are, working to purify our souls in ways that will only reveal to Him His Glory, thus revealing the beauty within everything. Through our purification process, God’s glory is revealed in deeply profound ways magnifying the truth found in the fruits of the spirit.

Dear Wrathful Father,

         Thank You for Jesus’ work on the cross that saves us from Your wrath. The refinement process serves me well in that I am learning how much more You love me and how much You also love Your creation. I am thankful that you have decided the best course in our lives is grace and subsequent refinement through this life to purify our hearts and souls. I want to serve You and I know that is a process of slowly removing all of me for more of You Lord. Please bless this process of refinement and teach me how to see and seek Your beauty everyday Lord. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.