TODAY’S TEXT: “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold’ (Job 23:10)

TODAY’S WORD: THE SUPPLY OF THE SPIRIT REFINES THE DESTINIES OF THE SAINTS

In Malachi 3:2-3 we read, "But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness."

This description of the Holy Spirit in Malachi was consistent with what we later read in Matthew 3:11 from John the Baptist.

‘I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire’

And in verse 12 we were told the fire will burn off the chaffs in our lives, a cleansing and purifying experience.

‘12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

It was not surprising therefore that in line with the prophecies that had gone ahead when he appeared on Pentecost day he sat on everyone like a "cloven tongue of fire".

‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance’ (Acts 2:1-4)

The refiner's fire has one mission to remove the spiritual dross in our lives so that our finer details can emerge! For when he has “tried me" I shall come forth as gold! The fire of God burns that which is undesirable in us, purifying us of all dirt and presenting us Holy before God ready, purified and refined to fulfil God’s purpose for our lives!

The supply of the Spirit refines the destinies of the saints! The Spirit helps us to ‘mortify the deeds of the flesh’ (Romans 8:13) so that we can live in consonance with the dictates of the Spirit for nothing mortgages our spiritual destiny like sin and walking in the demands of the flesh. The daily supply of the Spirit constantly refine us so that we are not ‘debtors to the flesh’ to live according to its dictates.

Mortification through the Spirit is the process by which the Holy Spirit rises up on the inside of you to destroy the hold that the flesh has over you. Instead of sin having dominion over you, you gain dominion over it. The Spirit of God comes into ascendancy in your life. No wonder the next verse after verse 14, Romans 8, tells us that ‘as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God’. When we mortify the deeds of the flesh then we can hear the voice of the Spirit. It is this voice of his direction that guarantees our manifestation in the world. To always hear that voice we must be ruled by the Spirit.

As you pray today you will be refined and your true colour shall emerge. The power of sin and its grip on you will be destroyed. The wantonness and pleasure of the flesh will lose its power over you. Amen

TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord let the refiners’ fire purify me of every dead works so that I can serve you acceptably.

TODAY’S THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: The refiner's fire has one mission to remove the spiritual dross in our lives so that our finer details can emerge! For when he has “tried me" I shall come forth as gold! The fire of God burns that which is undesirable in us, purifying us of all dirt and presenting us Holy before God ready, purified and refined to fulfil God’s purpose for our lives!

OTHER SCRIPTURES: ROMANS 8