煉盡渣滓 The Dross Purged

經文: 「我要使這三分之一經火，熬煉他們，如熬煉銀子；試煉他們，如同試煉金子。他們必求告我的名，我必應允他們。我要說：這是我的子民，他們也要說，耶和華是我們的上帝。」(撒迦利亞書十三：9)

恩典使我們成為珍貴的金礦，緊接而來的是火爐的冶煉，我們開始這步驟了嗎﹖或是被棄置如野地的無用石頭，一生安於平凡。就像以掃，他寧願捨棄長子的名分，尋求感官暫時的滿足。不，主啊，我們寧願被丟到火爐，也不要離開祢的面！         火不會燒毀我們，它只會煉淨我們，我們是會被丟到火中，但不會永遠在那兒。上帝看重我們有如寶貝，祂不會忍心看我們一直在火中；假如我們有足夠的智慧，將會選擇被上帝雕琢，而不會逃避火的冶煉。我們的禱告，會要求上帝煉我如精金，而不要被棄之如頑石。         主啊，若祢真要試驗我們，我們已準備好，投入祢的烈焰中，這是對我們最佳的途徑，在試驗的過程求祢保守我們，助我們渡過冶煉的煎熬，除盡渣滓，成為精金，永遠屬祢！ Scripture: "And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried; they shall call on My Name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is My people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God"(Zechariah 13:9).         Grace transmutes us into precious metal, and then the fire and the furnace follows as a necessary consequence. Do we start at this? Would we sooner be accounted worthless, that we might enjoy repose, like the stones of the field! This would be to choose the viler part — like Esau, to take the pottage and give up the covenant portion. No, LORD; we will gladly be cast into the furnace rather than be cast out from Thy presence!         The fire only refines; it does not destroy. We are to be brought through the fire, not left in it. The LORD values His people as silver, and therefore He is at pains to purge away their dross. If we are wise, we shall rather welcome the refining process than decline it. Our prayer will be that our alloy may be taken from us rather than that we should be withdrawn from the crucible.         O LORD, Thou triest us indeed! We are ready to melt under the fierceness of the flame. Still, this is Thy way, and Thy way is the best. Sustain us under the trial and complete the process of our purifying, and we will be Thine forever and ever.

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