"Thy Gold to Refine"

Sometimes all it takes for us to express ourselves is an internet cat picture.

Copyright 2012--icanhascheezburger.com

Feelings of distress are not necessarily sinful--and it's always good to remember that fact. In the Old Testament, we see the example of Nehemiah, who became upset over the plight of Jerusalem. He went so far as to appear distressed before the king of Persia--an offense worthy of execution. But Nehemiah's heart was saddened as he thought of his people and his city (Nehemiah 2:1-5).

In the New Testament, we see Jesus express his emotion as he arrived at the graveyard of his friend Lazarus. Every other account of Jesus raising the dead sees him appear stalwart and strong--but this situation was different. This was a person he had known and had fellowship with. Christ broke down in sorrow. The God of the universe cried. Scripture tells us that "Jesus wept." (John 11:35-36).

The fact is, everybody is going to go through times of disappointment, distress, and despair. But the most important part of those things is the reaction we have to it. An attitude of trust in the sovereign God who made us must be developed. And sometimes things are put in our way in order to build that trust with God, even when the people we care about break our trust.

God's will is not as mystic as it seems. His will is for us to draw closer to Him. His will is for us to trust Him. All we can do is our best to restore the things in our life that have been broken, and to do so in an attitude of dependence on God and kindness towards those we come in contact with.

 John Rippon captured these thoughts well, with these lines from his 18th century hymn:
                                 
                                  "When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie
                                    My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply
                                    The flame shall not hurt thee, I only design
                                   Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine."


"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the Shadow of Death, I shall fear no evil, for Thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of Yahweh forever."  --Psalms