Midweek Thought ~ Refinement

Refinement in the Cambridge English dictionary means ‘the process of making a substance pure’ or ‘the process of improving something’. It can also mean ‘a quality of politeness and education’ (as seen in someone’s behaviour).
 
I don't know about you, but when I hear the word refinement, I think positive things, like elegance, poise, a certain surety of presence in someone, a suggestion of integrity and mannerly acceptability. More often than not, we may associate it with the second definition rather than the first.

Yet true refinement only comes about and is the result of a process, quite likely an uncomfortable one. Think about the first definition and take gold as the obvious example ... 
 
"The two gold refining methods most commonly employed to derive pure gold are: the Miller process and the Wohlwill process. The Miller process uses gaseous chlorine to extract impurities when gold is at melting point; impurities separate into a layer on the surface of the molten purified gold. The Miller process is rapid and simple, but it produces gold of only about 99.5 percent purity. The Wohlwill process increases purity to about 99.99 percent by electrolysis. In this process, a casting of impure gold is lowered into an electrolyte solution of hydrochloric acid and gold chloride. Under the influence of an electric current, the gold migrates to a negatively charged electrode (cathode), where it is restored to a highly pure metallic state, leaving the impurities as a separate solution or residue".

There you go! What about copper? ... "The concentrated ore is heated strongly with silicon dioxide (silica) and air or oxygen in a furnace or series of furnaces".
 
So just to be a bit silly, I typed in the search bar 'how is a person refined?' and this is what came up as the first response ... "Something that's refined has gone through a process to remove impurities. An oil refinery removes impurities from oil. When a person's refined, they have good manners and good taste. A stereotypically refined lady will drink tea every day at four in the afternoon, lift her pinky while drinking, and select only refined (pure white, not raw) sugar as a sweetener. Someone with a refined taste in art has learned how to make judgments about what is good and what they like".
 
Well, you can respond how you like about that example, but I found it quite telling that in the mineral world, the aim of refinement is to eliminate as much impurity as possible, however in the human world it is to improve manners and good taste! I suppose that to most, the idea of even attempting to remove impurity from our human lives would just be too hard a process; too painful, and without God as our master refiner, impossible!

However, isn't that exactly what we should be constantly working on ourselves ... to remove impurities? It's a process for sure. No one would ever suggest or expect that our refinement could take place in a one hit episode. It takes time, discomfort, pain, regular re-examination, maybe new techniques, research, support, testing, suffering and heat. 
 
I’ve heard it said that the point at which a refiner knows all impurities have been removed, is when they can see their reflection in the metal / mineral substance. It’s a nice analogy when considering the thought of us as believers being put into the refining fire of God. It makes sense of the process, if through it, we begin to reflect God’s image. In fact, despite the discomfort, we should not only accept the refinement process but be glad for it in one way ... what a privilege to be refined into His image!
 
Let's look at some verses ...
 
Malachi 3v2-3: “For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes. He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify ... refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord”.
 
Zechariah 13v 9: “I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. 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.’”
 
Daniel 11v35: “... they will be refined and cleansed and made pure until the time of the end, for the appointed time is still to come”.

Isaiah 48v10: “I have refined you, but not as silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering”.
 
Psalm 66v10: “You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver”.

Job 23v10: "But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold".
 
Job knew a lot about suffering in the furnace of trials. How incredible that his perspective remained true, focusing on his Redeemer, with the realisation that to endure and persevere would produce gold. To me the key is to truly grasp that the fire and heat of refinement is managed by our good, gracious, loving Heavenly Father, and as such, we can trust Him to be in the detail, watching every part of the process ... not increasing the heat unless really needed and only allowing as much as we can endure, to come forth as gold ... to reflect the master refiner’s image. He is with us and has got us. He cares so much about the outcome of the refining process, that He will not leave us alone for one second. We can trust Him.
 
Leo Tolstoy once said that "truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold". Purity is the objective, and our part is to allow the process ... to learn within it, to purge out 'dross', to endure and grow in Christlikeness every day. Then, like Job, we can hope to 'come forth as gold'.
 
Harking back to my thoughts about the true vine and the importance of abiding before we can ever contemplate bearing fruit, likewise, I feel that we can often have another thought a little back to front or overbalanced one way. We pray for and would love to see revival and that's good, but I suggest that before we can expect or experience revival, we should and must first endure refinement.
 
Of course, pray for revival, but maybe first of all, pray "refine me O Lord". Wouldn't we then be much more suited to and ready for, a revival?
 
This is slightly odd to share but I liked the picture it created in my mind … I’ve been watching a series on Netflix and jotted down something that was said (translated from Turkish so it may not be accurate to the original rendition!): “When God chooses a person or a nation, He gives them tests, to strengthen and refine them. Think of these as a bow being drawn, because the more drawn a bow is, the further the arrow goes”. 
 
By inference, I’m suggesting that the more we can endure the furnace of refinement, the greater our faith will be and as such, it will have increased far reaching effects, more than we could ever have hoped for. The ultimate outcome bringing further glory to God.
 
I keep sharing things that my sisters share with me ... I have 4 sisters so there's a lot to share / a lot of sharing going on! One of them posted a poem recently on our family iMessage group which is very in keeping with this subject. I will post it separately rather than make this too long. I hope you enjoy reading it.
 
A couple of songs to finish with:

Fires ~ Jordan St Cyr
https://youtube.com/watch?v=H-ggZd-SmSs&feature=share

Through the Fire ~ The Crabb Family
https://youtube.com/watch?v=6XPKD14LYXY&feature=share

I am tired but am continually strengthened enough for each moment … sending you love and hope for each day.
 
Ingrid x

“God is more concerned with conforming me to the likeness of His Son than leaving me in my comfort zones. God is more interested in inward qualities than outward circumstances - things like refining my faith, humbling my heart, cleaning up my thought life and strengthening my character”. (Joni Eareckson Tada)