“Is not my word like fire,’ declares the LORD, ‘and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?’”

"For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”

Jeremiah 23:29; Deuteronomy 4:24

Someone once described to me the process of refining gold. The gold is subjected to an intensely hot fire of 1,948. until it melts. This causes the imbedded impurities to separate and rise to the surface. The dross can then be skimmed off, and— remarkably—the worker is able to see his reflection on the surface of the pure, precious metal.


God desires to prepare a people for Himself (Zechariah 13:9). But first, the Master Refiner must extract our dead hearts of stone and replace them with living hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). We need the holy fire of God’s Word to melt our stony hearts and burn away the dross of sin and impurity. Christ died to cleanse and redeem even the vilest of hearts. He alone has the authority to forgive sin and free the captive from its power.


Once the refining fire of God’s Word softens the heart, He then hammers and shapes it, forging something glorious for His holy use. He is preparing for Himself a spotless bride that will be a reflection of His magnificent glory (see Ephesians 5:25b-27).




Scripture Focus

Malachi 3:2-3

Insight

Admit that you must yield yourself to the fire and hammer of God’s Word. When you do so, His glory is reflected in your life.

Bible In A Year

  • Jeremiah 9-10
  • Psalm 108
  • Romans 7-8

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