The Holy Spirit calls to me this morning. Thunder is booming outside. Sometimes His voice sounds like the thunder in my ears; Loud, clear, earth shaking.
When God was questioning Job in Chapters 38-42 of the Book in Scripture that bears his name, Job recounts, "Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm. He said, "Who is this that darkens My counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man, I will question you and you shall answer Me."
Wow, it sounds like someone is in deep trouble!
In Job 40:1, "The Lord said to Job, "Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? Let Him who accuses God answer Him." And then in Job 40:6, again it says, "Then, the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. Brace yourself like a man, I will question you and you will answer Me. Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?"
The heat of Job's trials brought up some "dross" out of his heart and mind. This is a picture of the refining process we are all in. Gold in it's natural state is not pure. It contains impurities that have to be separated out in order to be considered pure gold.
The process of separating out the impurities is called refining the gold and it involves heat. The gold is placed in a crucible over a heat source. As the temperature under the gold is intensified, gold turns to liquid and the impurities are released and rise to the surface where they are visible. The Refiner applying the heat ladles off the impurities or "dross" so that when the gold returns to its solid state, it is pure. With no impurities, nothing but pure gold remains.
Today the Holy One speaks out of the storm, "My purpose in the trial stands and it is good."
Just as evil releases his fury and rages at the standard of Holiness that God's people are trying so hard to live by, the Lord thunders His response to the evil one,
"My purpose stands and it is good!"
I look back over my life and realize the truth. God is the Sovereign Refiner of His Creation. Whatsoever He has allowed to touch my life has brought me to where I am today. All the myriad of trials and the heat they provided, revealed forms of corruption within my heart and mind. Lies believed about God's Character, bad form acted out of self-possession or flat out ignorance of what I am capable of in terms of my "innocent" wickedness, all get dealt with in the trials I experience.
To even think that trials are random, without Godly purpose, represent hard treatment at the hands of a cruel Sovereign, or just bum luck karma, denigrate the pure Divine Character of my Holy God.
The liar is always at his destructive game; To separate me from Truth and if he cannot change my eternity at least he can make my earthly life so miserable and neutralize my ability or desire to share the knowledge of my Savior with a lost and dying world.
The Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. The Lord speaks to all of us out of the storm. His voice thunders, His Word proclaims:
When God was questioning Job in Chapters 38-42 of the Book in Scripture that bears his name, Job recounts, "Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm. He said, "Who is this that darkens My counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man, I will question you and you shall answer Me."
Wow, it sounds like someone is in deep trouble!
In Job 40:1, "The Lord said to Job, "Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? Let Him who accuses God answer Him." And then in Job 40:6, again it says, "Then, the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. Brace yourself like a man, I will question you and you will answer Me. Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?"
The heat of Job's trials brought up some "dross" out of his heart and mind. This is a picture of the refining process we are all in. Gold in it's natural state is not pure. It contains impurities that have to be separated out in order to be considered pure gold.
The process of separating out the impurities is called refining the gold and it involves heat. The gold is placed in a crucible over a heat source. As the temperature under the gold is intensified, gold turns to liquid and the impurities are released and rise to the surface where they are visible. The Refiner applying the heat ladles off the impurities or "dross" so that when the gold returns to its solid state, it is pure. With no impurities, nothing but pure gold remains.
Today the Holy One speaks out of the storm, "My purpose in the trial stands and it is good."
Just as evil releases his fury and rages at the standard of Holiness that God's people are trying so hard to live by, the Lord thunders His response to the evil one,
"My purpose stands and it is good!"
I look back over my life and realize the truth. God is the Sovereign Refiner of His Creation. Whatsoever He has allowed to touch my life has brought me to where I am today. All the myriad of trials and the heat they provided, revealed forms of corruption within my heart and mind. Lies believed about God's Character, bad form acted out of self-possession or flat out ignorance of what I am capable of in terms of my "innocent" wickedness, all get dealt with in the trials I experience.
To even think that trials are random, without Godly purpose, represent hard treatment at the hands of a cruel Sovereign, or just bum luck karma, denigrate the pure Divine Character of my Holy God.
The liar is always at his destructive game; To separate me from Truth and if he cannot change my eternity at least he can make my earthly life so miserable and neutralize my ability or desire to share the knowledge of my Savior with a lost and dying world.
The Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. The Lord speaks to all of us out of the storm. His voice thunders, His Word proclaims:
MY PURPOSE STANDS AND IT IS GOOD!
As I declare my trust in the power of My God and the Name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, evil must bow and retreat. But if I wallow in the pit of self-pity and agree with the enemy that I am a victim and not a victor, the trial will bear a different fruit".
Then the Holy One speaks in the voice of my Shepherd, "Beloved, trust Me. The higher ground I am leading you to is lush and you will find your test will become a testimony. My power, My authority, My love, My rescue, My goodness, My mercy are transforming your life".
I hear and now trust the hand of the Refiner of my soul, knowing His purpose stands and it is good!
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
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