Refiner’s Fire
By Karen D’Amore
“See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the Furnace of affliction.”
Isaiah 48:10
The tingling in my lip had become a persistent nuisance that I reasoned, in time, would heal on its own. I blamed the dry desert heat for the perpetually dry, cracked lips, until the crack escalated into a relentless oozing growth.By Karen D’Amore
“See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the Furnace of affliction.”
Isaiah 48:10
The gnawing ache in my gut told me this was something more serious than I was willing to believe or allow a doctor to confirm. Slipping deeper into denial, haunting fears paralyzed my thoughts and eventually my prayers. As depression whispered from my pillow, sleep became my new best friend. After several days of seclusion and confinement to bed, I looked in the mirror and faced the inevitable. Leaving denial at the back door, I had to face my fears and seek medical attention. After a month of unsuccessful treatment, the doctor ordered a biopsy.
The biopsy confirmed what the Lord had already been preparing me to hear. It was cancer — a cancer that (due to my delays) had spread to other areas of my body. After several surgeries and three months of radiation treatments, I would eventually be cancer-free.
God does not give us a spirit of fear! But I chose to run in fear versus walk in faith. It took those dreadful words…“It’s cancer”…to drop me desperately at my Lord’s feet. His peace engulfed me the moment I allowed Him to scoop me up into His arms and carry me through the remainder of this fiery trial.
The radiation treatments were an excruciating necessity. My oncologist determined what size dosage over a pre-determined period of time would be necessary to destroy the cancer.
The radiation process kills cancer and preserves life; the Refine’rs fire results in the preservation of a refined, holy life. As Christ followers, we may suffer long and difficult trials. God will use the fires of prolonged pain, coupled with these perpetual trials, to burn lessons He wants us to learn into the depths of our being. “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver (Malachi 3:3),” yet He knows the specific amount of time that will be needed. Like a true goldsmith, God stops the fire the moment He sees His image in the glowing metal. He uses His refining fire to burn away our impurities and then gloriously comes to our rescue.
As the radiation treatments burned away my cancer, Jesus uses His refiner’s fire to burn away our fears and re-shape our trust and faith in Him.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Is there something in your character that needs refining? Surrender to Him and allow Him to mold and shape you in His image.
FURTHER READING:
1 Peter 1:7; 2 Corinthians 3:18
Married to husband Dan, Karen manages Intrigue Salon & Spa, is the administrator for Oakwood’s Tuesday a.m. Bible Study, and co-leads a freshman girls’ small group.
