Monday, June 06, 2011

Burn Away the Dross: Birthday Reflection


Grace, grace for all who love the Lord Jesus Christ, with an undying love,
Grace, grace to all who love the Lord Jesus Christ, with an undying love!

Give me an undying love for You,
Lord won't you set my heart aflame with passion for Your name.
Give me an undying love for You,
Lord won't you take me to the cross,
I count it all as loss,
please burn away the dross so that nothing else remains,
but an undying love.

 "Remove the dross from the silver, 
   and out comes material for the silversmith."  
Proverbs 25:4

Dross must be removed from silver in order to increase its purity, its value.  In order to do so, the silver must be placed where the fire is the hottest so that all the impurities will be burnt away.  No doubt if silver had nerve endings this would not be a pleasant experience.  But what is also interesting is that the silversmith doing his work must sit holding the silver until it is done.  He can’t simply leave it and go about his other business.  If the silver is left too long in the flames it would be destroyed therefore he must keep his eyes on it the entire time.  And how does he know when it is completely refined?  When he can see his reflection in it.

Trials to us are like flames to silver, refining us, making us pure and holy.  Yet amidst the flames we often forget that God is also like the silversmith, sitting with us, not a passive observer but an active refiner.  Every second has purpose and He will not allow us to be destroyed.  My prayer for this new year of my life (year 26) would be that I would remember my refiner while I am in the flames and that I would learn to praise Him in the most difficult situation.

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