On Being Refined

"He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; 

He will purify the sons of Levi,

And purge them as gold and silver,
That they may offer to the Lord
An offering in righteousness." Malachi 3: 3

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I recently met a woman on the bus and we chatted about our different religious beliefs.  After I shared my faith with her, she told me I was very refined. I asked what she meant by "refined" and she said I was pure.

While I was out with a friend watching the fireworks at this park, I told him about the woman on the bus calling me refined.

"That's a good thing. It's nice to be called refined," he said.

"I know what you're thinking," I said. "She didn't mean it in the worldly way of being cultured. She meant it in a spiritual way."

"I see."

"You see that fire?" I pointed at the bonfire. "To me, that fire represents God. God is a consuming fire and when you give your life to Him, He is constantly purifying you with His fire just like people who work with metals use fire to remove impurities. That's what the woman on the bus meant by calling me refined."

"OK," my friend said.

Thank you, God, for refining me. 🔥❤️

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Related Bible verses:

"For our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12: 29

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1: 9

Video of the bonfire at the fireworks.