Saturday, August 22, 2009

Refined


Ezekiel 22:22

And you will melt like silver in fierce heat. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have poured out my fury on you.

Oh, to be free from impurities! Don't we long to be free from being impure?

I know after our house fire I felt so many feelings, but at the end of the experience I felt blessed. I did feel the feeling of "beauty that rose from the ashes." God did improve Kenny and me with being refined during the fire. It was truly an amazing experience. We were made better and brighter because of the experience. We weren't destroyed it was awful losing things we loved, watching our home burn was so heart wrenching, the smells that we will never ever forget but with all of that said ~ WE ARE BLESSED AND BETTER!

I read a story about Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov that was writing his memoirs and his wife Elena would type, edit, and help him with everything she had to be sure that the government would not seize their hard work. He would work and his work would vanish. So they would rewrite. One day, Andrei met Elena at the train station trembling told Elena "They stole it." He was devastated. But in a few days, he returned to work on his story. Elena told the story that every time he returned to begin again the memoirs were better and they were was always something new.

We are something new as well when God gets done with us! A process that is not always easy, but a beautiful one indeed – refined and beautiful! Why, because of the fire that we experience in our life that God will always use to make this world a better place for all around!

Being refined,

Debbie

1 comment:

Frankie said...

Debbie, I have been struck by how often God has said in the Old Testament, "then you will know that I am Lord." It makes me wonder, what does it take for us to grasp or realize that He is Lord.

Thank you Lord for revealing yourself in the Old Testament. May I take the truth that you are Lord deep into my heart that I might proclaim, You are Lord!