IgniteSample

Purify

Fire purifies. The heat from its flames can purge even the deepest impurities.

In your life and mine, from time to time God will turn up the heat by way of some life challenge or struggle, as an opportunity to purify us from something that doesn’t look like Him.

In my own life, it seems like the times when I’ve felt the closest to God and the furthest from Him have included some sort of test, trial, or difficulty.

When disaster strikes, we have an important choice to make. We can allow the trials of life to rekindle our relationship with Jesus and draw us closer to Him. Or, life’s struggles can cause us to regress in our spiritual pursuit, falling into old habits and patterns we’d once left behind.

If you want to ignite a passion in your heart for God, you must consistently choose to see difficult circumstances as an opportunity to rekindle your relationship with God and know Him in a deeper way.

For the early church, as the persecution and intensity of their fiery trials increased, so did their zeal and passion for Jesus. In Acts 16, after Paul and Silas had been beaten and thrown into prison, they prayed and sang hymns to God (Acts 16:25). Their suffering actually awakened a desire to praise God!

Purifying precious metals with fire is one of the oldest methods for refinement. In ancient days, a craftsman would sit next to a hot fire while the molten gold was stirred and skimmed to remove the impurities, or dross, that rose to the top due to the high temperatures.

When you feel as if you are being tried in the fire, the loving Craftsman is right there, and His name is Jesus. He’s not far off. Know that the flames are a powerful catalyst in propelling you toward your destiny.

What truths are you learning about God through your present difficulties?