Tonight we will reflect on how the words of “The Refiner’s Fire” spoke to us in the past week. I think I could take the entire 1 hr & 15 mins we are there just speaking to what God had to tell/show me. It all started with the truth that God’s refining fire doesn’t destroy us but it refines/purifies us. It gets rid of the dross so that the purity of the bronze, silver, gold shines through–better known as His Holy Spirit living freely in our lives.

This dross for me has been in part the lies I’ve believed about myself for so long! Along with that, I’ve had this watered down version of God’s love for me–another lie. I’ve believed if I weren’t like my dad or my brother or even like mom (avoiding conflict at any cost) I would be good enough for God in spite of my own personal sins–yet another lie. If I sang God’s inspired songs beautifully, taught His lessons at church and kept a beautiful enough garden to display His beauty in nature I’d earn His attention–another lie. This God of ours has been waiting with open arms to embrace us in a relationship Satan despises. He will do all he can to keep the dross in our lives so we can’t see this beautiful God, Savior and Lord He has offered us.

This morning I heard the Spirit’s voice asking me if I’m all in? I humbly said yes. I know I’m not sufficient to serve God fully, but with God’s Holy Spirit living more freely than ever before, I will do as Paul said in Philippians 3:14: “I keep running hard toward the finish line to get the prize that is mine because God has called me through Christ Jesus to life up there in heaven.” This prize–Christ’s words as we embrace in heaven: “Good and faithful servant”.