Happy Thanksgiving

Malachi 3:10

"Prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

Trial by Fire

The Bible often speaks of God trying His people by fire (Zechariah 13:9, Malachi 3:3, 1 Peter 1:7, et al). John the Baptist promised that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Luke 3:16). “Baptize” is a Greek word meaning literally “to immerse.” So John is saying that, while he immerses in water, Jesus will immerse believers in the Holy Spirit and in fire. The trial by fire awaits all of us both in this world and the next.

When God judges by fire this accomplishes two things: 1) it burns away the impurities and 2) it makes the gold, silver, or precious stones more pure.

The impurities represent the lost: they are the chaff in Matthew 3:12, the tares in Matthew 13:40, and those branches not abiding in the Vine in John 15:6.

But the believer also faces the fire. In this life, the fire is used to refine us and make us more like Christ. It burns away the unprofitable things in our lives (the chaff) leaving only those precious things that will be our treasure. As we face trials and tribulation, we must always remember than God has a purpose for us (Romans 8:28). Though we might not see the benefit of it at the moment, a great joy awaits us when Christ appears (1 Peter 4:12-13). And after this world is passed, we face one more trial where our works are judged for our reward (1 Corinthians 3:14-15)

I’m reminded of the story of the Silversmith:

"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." Malachi
3:3

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."

She watched as sweat poured from his brow due to the intensity of the heat from the fire he sat so close to. She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"

He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my image in it."

Matthew 8:5-13: Faith that can move Mountains

The account of the Centurion is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. The Centurion had asked Jesus to heal his servant. When Jesus offered to come to the Centurion’s house, the Centurion forbid Him and said he wasn’t worthy to have Jesus come into in his home. But he knew if Jesus just spoke a word, his servant would be healed. Jesus marveled at the faith of the Centurion and said, “Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel…. Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee” (Matthew 8:10,13) [bold added for emphasis].

When you pray, how would you feel if Jesus answered, “As thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee”? If I sincerely believed, I would be very happy. But if I were plagued with doubt, I guess I would be disappointed.

Nothing is impossible for God (Jeremiah 32:27, Mark 10:27, et al). Yet, we often become so caught up in our worries that we cannot imagine that God can deliver us. We pray to God, but sometimes we pray “hoping” God can help us – not necessarily "believing" that He can. Or worse yet, perhaps we feel so hopeless that we do not even ask – “ye have not because ye ask not” (James 4:2).

Jesus said that if we just have faith the size of a mustard seed, we could move mountains (Matthew 17:20). When you accepted Christ as your Savior, did you not sincerely believe God was able to save you? Didn’t God remove a mountain of sin when he saved each one of us?

God is waiting to bless each person who asks Him. Consider Malachi 3:10, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

Wow! God promises us more blessings than we have room to receive! In Malachi He is literally saying, “Just try Me.” All we need to do is ask, believing.