"But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap." Malachi 3:2
Experiencing the refining fire of God is very difficult, but it's a necessary part of life. As we grow in our prayer lives, God subdues our flesh life in a deeper way. Stripping the soul of its power is not easy, but we need this if God is to bring forth resurrection life through us. He must allow brokenness to remove our fleshly strength and our own selfish ways of handling life. We all know how hard this can be. Our hearts may not be yielded in certain areas, and difficulties will bring us to a deeper surrender to God’s ways.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Malachi teaches us that "Christ by his gospel shall purify and reform his church, and by his Spirit working with it shall regenerate and cleanse particular souls; for to this end he gave himself for the church, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word (Eph. 5:26) and purify to himself a peculiar people, Tit. 2:14 . Christ is the great refiner.
He will purge them with fire, as gold and silver are purged, for he baptizes with the Holy Ghost and with fire (Mt. 3:11), with the Holy Ghost working like fire. He will purge them by afflictions and manifold temptations, that the trial of their faith may be found to praise and honor. He will purge them so as to make them a precious people to himself. (Matthew Henry Complete Bible Commentary)
Suffering is perhaps the quickest way to grow spiritually. Most of us would testify that our times of greatest spiritual growth have been when we were in the fire of trials and difficulty. The key to suffering is to handle it correctly when it comes.
I remember being ill for two weeks with the flu. Like all of you, I hate illness. But God used it to bring me to a deeper level of brokenness. I wanted to grow in my understanding of God, so during that time I asked Him: “What do you want to teach me? How can I grow through this time of suffering?”
In order for God to train us in His ways, He permits His fire to consume us. This fire causes us to die more to ourselves so that He can live more fully through us. Sickness was hard for me, but I believe that in the end God used it for my advantage. The difficult circumstances you face, if handled well, will make you a winner in the end
It’s never easy to go through difficulty because we have to wrestle through to a changed understanding of God. I had been reading the book of Job. He was blameless and upright, and terrible trials hit his life and his family. Imagine losing almost everything! Job survived this terrible experience and never gave up his faith or trust in God.
If we follow his example, we can also persevere until our deliverance comes. God did not immediately answer Job's prayers. He was in the refiner's fire of difficulty for a long time. But in the end, God blessed Job in a far greater way than anyone could imagine. Sometimes we face unanswered prayer and persistent trials as God chooses to refine our character. He wants to bring us higher in resurrection power, faith, and fruitfulness. These are the ways of God.
"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing" (James 1:2-4).
Perhaps you are in a time of trial right now. You have unanswered questions. You cannot see your way through. The trial may seem like it will never end. You ask,“Why is God letting me go through this fire?” Let’s look at some reasons why:
But as time went on, I realized very clearly that God was doing something deep within me. He was refining my character and developing my faith. I needed to handle the trial correctly and respond well.
I now thank God for this experience with a grateful heart. I thank God for how He has taught me brokenness. I have received gold. God has used this in my spiritual development and in the depth of my ministry.
If you are personally experiencing the refiner's fire, don't give up. God has a purpose in all that you are going through. He is developing your faith and your character. It is worth far more than gold. He will bring you through in His timing and make you a winner.
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6-7).
Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC)
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org