I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!
Galations 2:20-21
Knitting Socks
at least trying! pj's for all American Girl Doll clothes and bedding curtains, tablecloths and chair covers for the schoolroom, eating nook and sewing room
~ Family Read Alouds~
Danger!
Last Light
~Blessings~
~Join the Fun~
Apr. 26, 2008~ Trials ~
Trials-- what a HUGE word!
It seems that trials sometimes pound at you. Like the waves on the shore, one after the other, barely letting you catch your breath before the next one is upon us.
Why is this is? I don't know. It does not matter. God knows and the only thing that matters is our relationship with Him. It is so easy to be the glowing christian while on the shore watching others get pounded by the waves- while we sit in our lounge chair , sipping our drink, soaking up the sun, sitting near the umbrella so if it gets too warm we can be comfortable quickly. It is during the difficult times that our character shows through and becomes refined.
Have you ever thought of that song Refining Fire? Have you ever really thought of what you are asking God when you sing this song?
Purify my heart
Let me be as gold and precious silver
Purify my heart
Let me be as gold, pure gold
Refiner's fire
My heart's one desire
Is to be holy
Set apart for You Lord
I choose to be holy
Set apart for You my Master
Ready to do Your will
If you look up 'refine' in the dictionary there are several definitions-
1. to reduce to a pure state, as with sugar, metal, or oil
2. to free from moral imperfection
3. to improve by pruning or polishing
4. to free from what is coarse, vulgar, or uncouth, as with a refined person
When the Bible speaks of "refining," to which of these definitions does it refer? Just one of these? When I look at the definitions I cannot pick just one of those- they all would apply to my life.
What does the Bible say about refining?
1. Metal is refined and purified in a furnace; the Lord purifies and tests the heart. (Read Proverbs 17:3)
2. We must be refined before our offerings are acceptable to the Lord. (Read Malachi 3:2-4)
3. The Lord's people will be tested in the furnace of affliction (or great suffering). (Read Isaiah 1:25, 4:4, 48:10 and Jeremiah 9:7)
4. The Lord examines your heart and mind. (Read Jeremiah 17:10)
5. Those who survive will be refined and tested by the Lord. (Read Zechariah 13:9)
It is so amazing that once we have gone through a trial we can see fairly clearly the lessons that were taught, the truths that we came away with, the understanding that God was refining us in a particular way. It is just in the midst of the trials that we can lose the ability to know God is doing a wonderful work in us.
We are Israelites! We do forget so easily- this is why we need to have that support system surround us, pray diligently and read our Bibles. All these will show us how God is such a great God and loves us so immensely. There is NOTHING He allows in our our life for vain.
I am preaching to the choir. I am talking to myself. I needed this little lecture. So self, here is the conclusion of my thoughts-
1. Remember, refining does not come from listening to sermons or reading the Bible. It comes from being exposed to difficult situations and enduring affliction.
2. It is what we do during the difficulties that build our character
3. Pray to recognize the hand of the Refiner in difficult situations.
And most of all remember self- your life verse--
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
We are a family of 9. We have home schooled since 1990. Our oldest 3 have graduated and are off on their own. So now we have a 10th,8th,6th and 4th grader. Our main goal as we have walked this path for a while now is to have a strong tight bond with our children and to have them love the Lord. We enjoy various ways of schooling mainly sticking to a Charlotte Mason path. I guess something that God has taught us through our journey is that we need to be grounded in what we know is true, yet flexible enough to grow in order to not be broken by winds of change.Until I figure out how to get pictures on here you can check us out at www.photobucket.com under garringer9 ---enjoy!
