The refining process of precious metals such as gold is a long, difficult, and expensive process.The heat for this process is extensive...temperatures to melt gold reach over 1945 degrees Fahrenheit. The reason for this process is to remove impurities and the purer the gold is, the more difficult will be the process of its refining.

So when God says He is refining us as pure gold, think of this process as the process of Him removing our impurities. And with some of us...this is a long and arduous process.

I know that being refined by fire is difficult, yet I am learning that as difficult this process is...He is making me purer, more precious, He is expressing His great love for me in this process. I am learning that the impurities I have in my life need to be refined and I may not like the process at the moment...I have never given up hope in Him or have I stopped believing.

This refining process is on-going in each of us and we all need to be loving and encouraging to one another. You never know when your difficult refining process will be able to help someone else being refined as well. Be open about the difficulties...be willing to share the struggles..for throughout this process, purity is being brought about. Purity that draws us closer to Him...that gives Him the glory, the honor, and the praise...that strengthens our faith and our relationship with Him and others.



6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
1 Peter 1:6-8