I am the metal, YOU are the blacksmith! Mold me & Shape me.

I am loving our Wednesday night sermons at church lately. I mean I always love them but I am really loving them right now. Preacher Bingham has been preaching on sowing and reaping. Amazing lessons and sermons I tell ya! Tonight, he talked to us about the topic again and he brought up the fact that God is molding us into what He needs us to be. He also talked about God drawing our attention to His precious Son by letting our flesh go through things here on earth. He mentioned several verses but this one stood out to me...

John 8: 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

This verse is often misquoted as ... the truth shall set you free.... but the word make brings on a whole different meaning. To "make" something be a certain way can only be done if that something is taken through a process just as we are as Christians. We are like a piece of metal being heated in the fire, beat with iron, and cooled down in water and Jesus is the blacksmith who is molding us. This repetitive process molds us into what He would have us be in order to bring glory and honor to His name. Beautiful picture isn't it?

I also thought of this verse which some of you might recognize at the bottom of all my emails:

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

He truly is refining and purifying me and I truly praise Him for that!