Your Daily Devotional for July 9, 2007

 

July 9,  2007

 

 

A Refined Heart

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

 

"My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him."

 

Job 23:11-14

 

 

My great grandfather worked in the gold mines around Ouray and Silverton, Colorado. The mines were very dirty and dark places to work. As he mined, it was often difficult to spot which pieces of rock held gold because the ore was so rough. Even though the ore was rough, after a series of chemical treatments and fire, the ore was purified into gold.

 

Over the past few days we have seen Job's reaction to the trials that entered his life. His children and his animals died, he suffered physical ailments, and his wife and friends turned away from him. Through all this, Job remained faithful to God. Because he endured the testing, God was able to refine his heart.

 

Job's heart was refined when he realized two things. First, Job realized that God knew his needs. God's refining work begins when we realize that God knows what we need to go through in order to become the Christians He wants us to be. Psalm 139:1-4 says, "O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether." Job realized that God knew everything and that He knew what was best.

 

In essence Job was saying, "You know me better than I know myself, Lord; I trust you." God knows our past, present, and future, and He has a plan for our lives. His will may require a time of testing and growing. We must realize that everything we go through is Father-filtered. He knows exactly what we need to draw us closer to Him. We must trust Him and let Him work in our lives.

 

Also, Job realized that God had a purpose. God has a purpose for everything we go through. Whether financial difficulty, loss of a loved one, or a physical trouble, God has a plan for it! We should never look at a trial as simply a time of difficulty. We must look at it as an opportunity to grow closer to Christ! As we seek out God's purpose in each trial, God will be able to refine our hearts and draw us to Himself.

 

Only when a rose is crushed does it dispel its fullest odor. Even so, God allows trials in our lives to bring out the best in us. He desires to shape us into Christians that are wholly yielded to Him. When we realize that God knows what is best for us and that He has a purpose for our trials, He will be able to refine our hearts.

 

God desires to work through your trial, but you must open your heart to Him. You must realize that God knows what's best! Have you opened your heart to God? Have you given Him full control so He can refine your heart? God desires to refine your heart, but you must let Him have control and trust His purpose for the trial. Seek God right now and give Him full control so He may refine your heart today.

 

 

 

Daily Bible Reading

Job 38-40 • Acts 16:1-21

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