Once again, my devotion today was spot on. The topic tied perfectly to the challenges of this week and to the wonderful reminders sent by many of you (thank you Bert, Connie M, Julie B, Jim K, Mike A and Connie F) in the last three days!
So in my devotion, a blacksmith is asked what he fears the most and he replies "I fear that I will be thrown in the scrap heap". When asked what he means by that, he replies...that when he is tempering a piece of steel, first he heats it, then he hammers it, then he plunges it into a bucket of cold water. Very soon, he sees whether the block of steel will take the tempering or go to pieces in the process. If it's discovered after a couple of temperings, that the block is not going to allow itself to be tempered, it is thrown on the scrap heap to be sold for a cent per pound to the junkman.
So the Lord is testing Ted and I and our kids too! We can choose to be tempered by the heat and hammering and cold water bath, or we can prove not to be a good fit for the Lord's tempering process and find ourselves thrown to the scrap heap with all the missed opportunity to be molded into something with the beauty of gold!
I made a choice at 30 years of age, to be tempered rather than to become part of the junk pile of this world. That process continues, but I have many, many examples of the blessings that abound during and after a time of tempering has come. So my advice to all those reading this...get quiet, get in a truly meaningful relationship with God, however that is defined for you, and rejoice in the times of tempering. They are times of rich reward.
Wow quite interesting devotional....especially in light of what God is saying to His bride right now. I am part of a prophetic (not pathetic) flock and we love to hear what is on God's heart. He is speaking "March Forth" for March 4th! God also gave revelation on Song of Solomon 2:10 for His bride...."My beloved spoke, and said to me (the bride) 'Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away.'" God is calling His bride to arise from slumber and our "comfort" zones...to take off our combat boots and shod our feet once again with the Gospel of Peace. I like how your devotional put it....being tempered in the fire. Pastor put it like the mother eagle preparing her babies to fly. An eagle will use thorns to make the outer shell of the nest and then fluff it and make it comfy with straw, leaves, loose hair and grass it finds. When the babies are ready to go, she starts removing all the "fluff" so the babies feel the thorns and are forced to move from their comfort zone. If that doesn't work she then gives them a shove out of the nest! Glad to hear you are hearing what we down here are hearing! ;o)
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