Feeling the Heat

“I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure, just as gold and silver are refined and purified by fire. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘These are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’ ”

Zechariah 13:9

• A refiner had a special way of purifying his silver. Using a large pot, he placed ore inside. He would build a huge, blazing fire underneath and carefully wait and watch as the contents started to melt. First, he skimmed large amounts of sediment from the top with a wooden spoon. Knowing the silver was not pure, he made the fire hotter by adding more wood to the already bright flames. Eventually, he’d be able to tell whether the silver was ready: He’d see a clear refection of himself. Our life’s trials can grow intensely hot. But they come with a pretty cool blessing: They allow God to remove the sediment from our character that we may reflect His image in the world. How do you handle the hot spots of your life?

#inspiration #cupofcomfort