“The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart.” Proverbs 17:3 NIV
A crucible is used to melt the silver and gold so the impurities of the precious metal will rise to the top.
When it does, the refiner will skim it off.
It is the same with your heart.
The Great Refiner can use the fires of life to expose things that don’t belong there.
In His kindness, He will bring them to the surface to clear them away.
When He brings it to the surface, it means that you are ready to deal with it.
Your job is to stay in His hand, deal with what comes up (which almost always begins by forgiving yourself or others) and allow the healing balm of His love to make you new.
“All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children”.
Matthew 27:25
After Gethsemane, Jesus was betrayed by Judas, abandoned by His disciples and denied by Peter.
Then He was brought before Herod to be judged. Herod sent Him to Pilot, but Pilot couldn’t find a reason for a death penalty.
It came down to the people and the people demanded that Jesus be crucified and the murderer, Barabas, be released to them.
Unfair, unjust, unreasonable are just three words that come to mind. He did nothing to deserve a penalty of death.
The crowd shouted: “His blood be on us and on our children.”
He must have stood there marveling as He heard the crowd cry out for His death, knowing that He was going to bear their judgment physically, spiritually….literally.
Now their cry has become mine: “His blood be on us and on our children”, not the blood of judgment but the blood of forgiveness.
While Jesus was on the cross, He drank deep from the cup of God’s fury against our sin so that you and I could drink deep of the cup of forgiveness. He took our judgment so we could be pardoned for all eternity.
Now their cry has become mine: “His blood be on us and on our children”, not the blood of judgment but the blood of His amazing love and forgiveness.
If you don’t know how much Jesus loves you, look at the cross – the proof lies lifeless there.
Holding a grudge clutters the soul with bitterness.
Forgiveness is vital to your soul and it is a journey Jesus wants to walk you through.
It is vital because you are valuable.
And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.”
Matthew 5:38-42 MSG
God doesn’t deny that bad things happen or that people will take advantage of you but He also doesn’t abandon you to it either.
Jesus is saying that when someone takes advantage of you, give them what you have and move on with your life. Let it go. Forgive it.
In this way, you will be living in the abundance of God’s love instead of the famine of your past hurts.
You are not meant to carry the heavy load of resentment and regret.
What resentment or regret is weighing you down?
What grudge is poisoning your soul?
Bring them all to Jesus and lay each one at the foot of the cross. Then, take a deep breath and allow Him to fill the newly evacuated space with the cleansing power of His love.
Just A Minute 