"And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God."
Zechariah 13:9
Many scriptures make mention of that fact that God's people (both his original chosen people, and all who choose to be his people, who are also chosen) will be refined. This verse specifically mentions silver and gold, and I like that, because, symbolically, we are precious metals. If you are refining something precious, it still takes a lot of heat to burn off the impurities, as we probably expected, but it also requires a lot of attention, and you don't waste any of it or throw it away. You only get rid of what isn't truly part of it at all... the impurity.
I love the symbolic idea here that underneath all of our sins and mistakes, we are shiny and perfect--all we have to do is get rid of the bad parts, and get polished up a little, and we're ready to become so much more. And God is committed to helping us get there. It's not easy by any means. In order to be refined, we have to go through the symbolic fire that burns off everything that doesn't belong. But if we are willing, God will help us through that so that we can be truly pure and clean and prepared for what comes next. The idea of no guilt, no regrets, nothing wearing on our conscience... that's a really good feeling, and something that we can always get back, if we are willing to let God help us. Hard, but so worth it.
Today, let's be willing to be God's people, called by his name. Let's be willing to repent and change, and to let go of the bad and be restored to the good... our true, pure selves that are still there, underneath. And once we get back to the good, then let's work on becoming better than we have ever been. :)
Zechariah 13:9
Many scriptures make mention of that fact that God's people (both his original chosen people, and all who choose to be his people, who are also chosen) will be refined. This verse specifically mentions silver and gold, and I like that, because, symbolically, we are precious metals. If you are refining something precious, it still takes a lot of heat to burn off the impurities, as we probably expected, but it also requires a lot of attention, and you don't waste any of it or throw it away. You only get rid of what isn't truly part of it at all... the impurity.
I love the symbolic idea here that underneath all of our sins and mistakes, we are shiny and perfect--all we have to do is get rid of the bad parts, and get polished up a little, and we're ready to become so much more. And God is committed to helping us get there. It's not easy by any means. In order to be refined, we have to go through the symbolic fire that burns off everything that doesn't belong. But if we are willing, God will help us through that so that we can be truly pure and clean and prepared for what comes next. The idea of no guilt, no regrets, nothing wearing on our conscience... that's a really good feeling, and something that we can always get back, if we are willing to let God help us. Hard, but so worth it.
Today, let's be willing to be God's people, called by his name. Let's be willing to repent and change, and to let go of the bad and be restored to the good... our true, pure selves that are still there, underneath. And once we get back to the good, then let's work on becoming better than we have ever been. :)
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