From The Crucible (by Pastor Linda Pugsley)

We recently talked about suffering and its good end results, even if the process doesn’t look so good! But we need to be reminded, and frequently, that the afflictions constructed and/or allowed by God are holy! The intended result is our sanctification and the building up of our faith and trust in Him.

The name of my blog is, The Crucible, because it addresses the heat and fire needed to get out the “dross” from our lives. As we reflect on this, remember the story about the goldsmith who tends to the smelting of the raw gold ore. The process involves heating the ore to an extremely high temperature, but not too high. As the gold melts, it sinks to the bottom because it is a heavy metal and all the impurities rise to the top and are skimmed off by the goldsmith. Much to the dismay of the gold, this process is repeated over and over and over again until the gold is pure gold and all the impurities are gone.

Sound familiar? Is the heat rising in your circumstances? Do you have that sinking feeling? We are under the care of our Lord, the Expert Goldsmith. Do not fear, you are in good hands, He knows what He is doing…enter His rest during your afflictions and let the blessings flow. Endure the fire...it's producing pure gold!

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