Tag Archives: Fire

Worthy

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There is nothing better, after a long day of work, or a hard day of a play, than to take a good, long bath. Nothing like the feeling of going from being just filthy, to being clean.

That’s one of the things that God wants to do for us. He wants to make us clean. In our lives, we have a way of getting dirty. Some it comes from our own choices. Some of it comes from the stuff of life. Some it comes from just life.

And when we are dirty, we don’t fill worthy. We feel like we can’t come into the presence of God. We feel like we just can’t do it.

Listen to what God says today through Malachi 3:2-4:

But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

The Lord will be like a refiner’s fire. He will be like a fuller’s soap. He will make us clean. He will purify us.

He will make us worthy. He will.

You won’t. You will never “make” yourself worthy of God. You will never be “good” enough. It’s not something you can do.

God will do it. He will purify you. He will clean you. Now, yes, this may be tough at time.

A refiner’s fire may be really hot. It may even hurt. A fuller’s soap may be a little painful at times. Yeah, bath time might not be a lot of fun.

But, it’s worth it. This test you are facing, this trial, whatever ever it is, it will give you two choices.

Run to God, or run away from God. If you cause whatever you are facing to make you run to God, He will use it.

He will use this time to purify you. Clean you. Make you better. Make you holy.

Make you worthy.

Today, God’s desire, His hope, His plan, is to refine you. Make you better. Make you like He created you to be.

Today, may we find our life, our hope, our purity, our worth, in the goodness of God.

May He wash us clean today!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

When, Not If

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When we pass through the waters, with God with us, we will not drown.

When we pass through fires, with God with us, we shall not be consumed.

When. Not if.

Isaiah 43:1-3 is one of my favorite passages of scripture.  Listen to what it says:

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.

I first really heard this passage of scripture when I was a camp counselor at Twin Lakes Camp outside of Jackson, MS when I was in college. And at that point, this became, for me, one of those passages that I come back to over and over and over again in my life.

I love it. Because of what I stressed above. When we pass through the waters. When we pass through the fires. Not if. When. When we do it.

We will be ok. It will be ok. We won’t be consumed. We won’t be drowned.

For He is the Lord our God. He has called us by name. By name. He knows your name and has called you by it. He has redeemed you. You are is. He is the holy one, your God. He loves you.

So, when, not if, you pass through the troubles and the trials of life, He will be there with you and for you. He will not leave you. He will not forsake you. You are His. He is yours. He loves you.

So, today, if you are going through the fire, and through the water today, He is with you. He has called you. You are His.

And if you are going through the waters, know that you will. It will happen. You will face these trials and troubles.

You will be ok. He will not leave you. You will not be overwhelmed. For you are His. Never forget. Remember. You are His.

Even in the fire. Even in the water. He has redeemed you. You are His.

Fear Not

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One of the things that we preachers try to do is share, present, and interpret scripture in a way that helps you. I want this daily reflection of scripture to a be a help to your day, an encouragement, a challenge.  I want it to be something that will enable you to know God’s love for you and to feel the challenge to go out and live in His grace.

So, sometimes I tell I story. Sometimes I try to relate it to your (or my) life. Sometimes I just talk about what it means to me.

Today, through, this reading is one of my favorites, and one of the most powerful in scripture.  So, I ask you right now to stop and listen.  Stop what you are doing (unless you are driving) and listen. Listen to what Isaiah 43 says:

But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
O Israel, the one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

God created you.  He formed you.  You are His.  He loves you.

Today, no matter where you are in your faith, whether you are where you need to be, whether you are walking daily with Him, or whether you have drifted.  Maybe you are just starting to come back to faith. Maybe you’ve never had faith before at any point in your life.

No matter where you are – know this. God formed you.  You are made in His image. And He loves you. He sent His son to redeem you.  And if wants to know you.  He wants a relationship with you. He wants to carry you.

He formed you.

And He wants you to trust in His strength and provision today. So that when you pass through the fire and the water, you will be ok.

Not if you pass through them. When you pass through them. There will be fire. There will be water. We will go through trials in this life.

When we cling to the one that formed us we know we will be ok. He will be with us.  He will uphold us.  He will strength us.

Today, know that God has formed you.  You are His.

Today, trust in Him.  Trust in His strength.  His might.  His power.  His comfort. His grace.

Fear not.  He has redeemed you.  You are His. Today, may we trust in Him, in all things.