Bend in the Road - Lesson 5 - Spiritual Refining

God has preeminence over us,
He knows our ways, as we do not.
We are not able to judge His work,
We need to not only say we have confidence in Him.
We need to be confident in Him.
We need to show that confidence,
And trust that God uses us for His profit.

Does God approve of our conduct?
Do our ways please Him?
If He tries us like gold are we lost in the fire?
Or do we come forth more pure and luminous.

If that which is reputed to be gold is exposed to the action of a strong fire,
If it is genuine, it will lose nothing of its quality, nor of its weight.
If it went into the fire gold, it will come out gold.
The strongest fire will neither alter nor destroy it.

Like Job:
He went into this furnace of affliction an innocent, righteous man;
He came out the same.

His character lost nothing of its value, nothing of its luster.

Job 23:10 ‘But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.’

Though God may not at once give relief to us,
He is always mindful of our sorrows;
And will not continue us there a moment longer than
His glory, our good, and the good of His kingdom require.

How have you held up when you went through that purifying fire?





What advice could you give us if we are going through a refining fire right now?





We need to comfort ourselves with the assurance that if we cannot not find the Lord,
We may need to speak in our own defense,
And remember the Lord already knows the case.
In due time He will decide in our favor.

Like Job we need our faith to be the anchor while the storm rages terribly.


Our afflictions and trials are represented throughout the Bible
As a furnace where ore is melted,
And a crucible where it is refined.

It also represent cases where there is doubt concerning the purity of the metal,
the quantity of alloy,
or even the nature or kind of metal subjected to the trial.

So is God trying us that He might know what is in us?
And whether we would keep His testimonies?
If so keep in mind His conduct towards us
Will be founded on reason and justice.

Psalm 66:10, ‘For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.’

What impurities may god be trying to remove?





Or is He just making sure we are still pure?





Silver melts at a higher temperature than gold.
And when it comes right down to it,
There is no good in us,
We are all dross and impurities.
Nothing would be left after we were tried in a fire.

Isaiah 48:10, ‘Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.’

Why do we deserve to be taken from the flames?





Do we bear our trials with a right spirit?
Do we have highs and lows?
Are we bitter and spiteful?

What is the longest this pain can go on for?
One year, Two years, Ten years?
How long will our rewards go on for?

James 1:12, ‘Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.’

‘Promised to them that love him.’
Do we love Him if we are not enduring well?





We are talking about spiritual refining.
Are we there yet?
What is holding us back?

James 2:5, ‘Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?’

What does this verse say to you?





Even through our spiritual refining we are not alone,
He is keeping the path clear and guiding our steps.

Proverbs 2:8-9 ‘He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.’

So how far along are you in your spiritual refining?





Are you receptive to the difficult aspects of that growth?





When we are taught of God we understand the whole lesson.
The law of justice, mercy, righteousness, and truth.
When we are finished with our refining
These lessons will be written on our hearts.
If we understand these things by books only
We may not be as likely to practice or profit by them.

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