"But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver."
(Malachi 3:2-3a)
The brother who preached at church today finished out his sermon by mentioning this scripture and the one at the end of my blog post. He was in the ministry for 15 years and while he was in the ministry this scripture came up during a bible discussion. A sister at that discussion decided to make an appointment with a silversmith to get some insight into this. She didn't tell him why she wanted to see his work other than general interest. The silversmith explained to her that you have to hold the silver in the hottest part of the fire to make sure all of the impurities are burned off. You have to watch it carefully however, because you can ruin it if it isn't in the hottest part of the fire. Also if you aren't careful, and keep it in the fire too long, you will destroy the silver as well as burning off the impurities. She asked him; "If you can't keep it in too long, how do you know when it's ready?" He replied; "When I can see my reflection in it."
Isn't this how God treats his children? He holds us in the hottest parts of the fire, not to hurt us, but to purify us. It's certainly not easy for us, but God is right there, watching, feeling the heat as well, and making sure we are right where we need to be, until He can see Himself in us. This world brings trials, but God does not disappoint us. He is always there, always caring, always watching, allowing us to go through trials, yet keeping His eyes on us the whole time, purifying us. The purification process is not always pleasant, but it is good. I have been feeling this heat of purification for awhile now. I need to be reminded (and was today) that God is always there, always watching. He is making sure we are right where we need to be, to eventually show His likeness in ourselves. I need to remember that Abraham waited until he was as good as dead (from Hebrews 11:12) to receive the son God promised him. Moses spent 80 years away from the palace that he could have lived in, and 40 years in the desert leading God's people to the Promised Land that he would never enter. David, who spent his whole life fighting for God, would never see the temple that he planned feverishly for. These men (and many other men and women in the bible) never saw, or waited a VERY long time to see, what God really had in store for them. But they trusted that God knew what He was doing, and that the trials they endured were God's plan for their life, even if they struggled through it. The next time you are fighting through a difficult challenge in your life, remember that God is there, watching carefully. Making sure you are right where you need to be. Hopefully you'll be able to say as Paul did shortly before his death:
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:7-8)
29 comments:
Jethro Tull: My God -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dh0woT7NkKI
(intro to) 'Wind Up': Jethro Tull -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=O-Zt40qu9vc
Tull: Wind Up -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=11SA3W_k10w
The most related video to the Tull My God video, IMHO -
Focus: Hocus Pokus -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=bpV5InLw52U&feature=related
I'm thinkin that Stan somehow missed the point a this post.
I've heard this particuular sermon (or various versions) and it is an important one. Our sovereign God cares about us as we care for our children.
Lol! What makes you think that??
Think what ya'll like.
Thinking is a *GOOD* thing.
In the words of Dan Quayle, "It's terrible to lose one's mind."
The quote Reck is attempting to "straw man", what former vice-President Quayle actually said is this -
"What a waste it is to, lose one's mind or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is."
New post at TH by yours truly.
I'm just sayn...
So I'm fixin to head to Austin to start an exterior and I'm lookin at the radar and it sure looks like you guys are gonna get some rain today. I thought it doesn't rain there anymore?
Well It's been raining occasionally in Austin, but where I live, about 20 miles from downtown, it hasn't rained other than maybe a very little twice in the last few weeks.
I don't know how you handle drivin in Autin. It's definitely worse than Houston.
Well driving in Austin is an art form. It takes defensive driving to new heights. There are so many drivers here who just don't pay attention that you almost have to be psychic. I can usually tell what the other drivers are going to do though.
True. I actually had a close call yesterday after I got on I35 at 38th. Luckily because of the traffic everyone was goin slow.
It can be hairy through the decks. I usually take the upper deck, but it's easier to get to work that way. But there's times when someone does something stupid there and you're hosed.
It used to be that bad driving in Houston. There's been *MASSIVE* highway improvements here over the years.
TXDOT deserves alot of credit for this.
And ya'll dudes say that government doesn't work.
Nestor -
> ... I usually take the upper deck ...
(StanNote: on I-35 through Austin Downtown/UT)
Just think what Austin traffic would be like today if that upper deck didn't exist.
Thank you government!!!! (and thank you texasfreeway.com for documenting it)
As I understand it, I-35 (through Downtown Austin) used to be Eastern Ave. (or Blvd not sure which) The decks are helpful, but 4 lanes through downtown Austin is not enough. I'm hoping that when the toll road is finished all the way to San Marcos, a lot of the truck traffic that goes from SA to Dallas, will bypass downtown Austin. It will certainly alleviate some of the traffic. I have seen increased truck traffic on the toll road, which is encouraging.
The government can do somethings, however usually at much higher costs than if done through the private sector. When I moved to San Antonio in 2002 they were doing construction on 410. They are still doing construction on 410. This is why people don't like government. (at least in the bloated form we have now) It is usually ineffecient. By the time they are done with the 410 construction, they will probably need to widen it again. They need to widen 1604 (and have needed to for years) but they probably won't do it until it is too late, they'll work on it for 8-10 years, just in time for the need to re-widen it.
The new problem is that TXDOT wants to build toll roads on existing freeways in SA. These are roads that have already been paid for. I have no prob w/ tolls, just build em new.
I know people have been up in arms about the 281 (toll) extension north of 1604. I'd be upset too. They're considering doing the same thing on 290. They want to extend the highway portion that goes east of 35 (it is only about 3 miles right now) It's kind of a double edged sword. If they do it, it will be faster to get to Austin, but you have to pay for it. If you don't want to pay, you can take the access road, which will have even more traffic lights than it already does.
Ya'll should see the Katy Freeway here in Houston now. All that's left to finish now is the big I-10/Beltway8 interchange. From the WAY it was is night and day to the WAY it is (and will be when totally finished.)
YAY government!!!! Yay taxes well spent!!!!
Nestor -
> It's kind of a double edged sword. If they do it, it will be faster to get to Austin, but you have to pay for it. If you don't want to pay, you can take the access road, which will have even more traffic lights than it already does.
That really describes our Sam Houston Tollway/Beltway 8. The deal that was worked out for it said like, ok build your tollway. But finish our road that will be free (of charges, not red lights.)
The access roads that you can ride on around the city for free, is Beltway 8. And in some cases it can save you time as compared to driving the preexisting freeways.
It seems like the Sam Houston is so massive. I guess so is 1604 in SA though. I remeber one time when we went to the Johnson Space Center (we were living in SA at the time) we took 10-45 to get there, but going back I had the bright idea to take 610 to go back to SA. I said 'we'll avoid downtown traffic'. Little did I know we'd still be stuck in traffic for an hour and a half and add 15 miles to the trip. I was pretty upset when I looked at a map when we got home. But I got a REAL good look at Reliant Stadium...about 5 minutes worth.
I imagine that you were hitting the 610/59 interchange during rush hour. When you were viewing Reliant Stadium, you were very close to where I currently live, BTW.
So Nestor, what's the current status of your going to pharmacutical school here in Houston (or elsewhere, if that's your choice?)
Well, I took the PCAT last November in anticipation of applying for this fall. I decided against it, stopped taking classes this past spring to work more. We just needed the money. I'm probably going to take a couple of classes this fall. I'll probably take either English, Journalism or Political Science. (which is kind of funny. If it was really science they wouldn't have to include the word science would they) I'll apply to UT for the spring in order to take the remaining science courses I need. Genetics, Microbiology, and Calculus, though I'd really rather not take any of those at UT, but the way it works with the GI Bill, I can't get paid for anymore science or Math classes at ACC. Depending about how I feel about the classes this fall, I'll apply to UT and UH pharmacy schools. Possibly Tech, though VERY likely (but Tech also opened a Pharmacy School in Abilene in addition to their school in Amarillo, they're moving slightly closer to actual civilization) Possibly Incarnate Word in SA, but I don't have that kind of money, and I don't want to be in that kind of debt. So UT and UH are the two I'd apply to if I feel like Pharmacy is the way for me to go. I think our tough financial situation contributed to getting some 'cold feet' with Pharmacy. I just want to make absolutely sure it's what I want to do for the rest of my life (well at least for a good long while) before I commit a ton of debt and 4 years of my life to it.
I'm sorry to hear about your "tough financial situation" and how it's applying to your attempt @ pharmacutical school.
You should really look into who's caused this problem for you (that would be your Republican'ts.)
No Stan, it's not the Republicans. It's the fact that we choose to homeschool our children rather than put them into the liberal indoctrination machine called the public school system. Homeschooling our children is more important than me going to Pharmacy School. But since we homeschool, we are single income, (for the most part) which means I can't exactly spend 15 hours a day between class and studying. I'm not sure it's a bad thing though. I enjoy writing more than Pharmacy, though I do enjoy pharmacy. Plus in science I get mostly B's with some A's and a C (that C was in the hardest class though, work wise, not material wise that I've had) We also had a number of crises at the end of that semester, which contributed to getting a C instead of a B, and a B instead of an A in my Organic Chem class. But in my English, History, Government and Social Sciences classes, I've gotten almost all A's. So maybe that's a better fit for me anyway. I can write and if that doesn't work out I can teach some of these young 'skulls full of mush' to love their country.
Post a Comment