In the Refiner's Fire

Those who know me well know I often refer to the devotional book, Streams in the Desert. It is a great book. We have a print edition and I also read an online edition when I have my Quiet Time each day. The online edition and the print edition are not laid out the same but the content is excellent in both of them. If you want to read the online edition just click HERE.

Here is an excerpt from today's devotion.

"He sat by a fire of seven-fold heat,

As He watched by the precious ore,

And closer He bent with a searching gaze

As He heated it more and more.

 

He knew He had ore that could stand the test,

And He wanted the finest gold

To mould as a crown for the King to wear,

Set with gems with a price untold.

 

So He laid our gold in the burning fire,

Tho' we fain would have said Him 'Nay,'

And He watched the dross that we had not seen,

And it melted and passed away.

 

And the gold grew brighter and yet more bright,

But our eyes were so dim with tears,

We saw but the fire--not the Master's hand,

And questioned with anxious fears.

 

Yet our gold shone out with a richer glow,

As it mirrored a Form above,

That bent o'er the fire, tho' unseen by us,

With a look of ineffable love.

 

Can we think that it pleases His loving heart

To cause us a moment's pain?

Ah, no! but He saw through the present cross

The bliss of eternal gain.

 

So He waited there with a watchful eye,

With a love that is strong and sure,

And His gold did not suffer a bit more heat,

Than was needed to make it pure."

Don't forget to pray: "Lord, do something we are not used to."

In the Fire,
Pastor Mike