Day 330: Purify

Philippains 1:12-30; Ezekiel 19; Isaiah 48

Paul mentions being brave in this passage. He talks about being brave no matter what the circumstances, and being brave when we face our enemies. Being bold and courageous has nothing to do with our personality--a shy person can still show courage--but it has everything to do with our actions. We are encouraged to live our lives in a way that proves we are unashamed as well as live in a way that we are unashamed of. I want to look back on my life when I'm old and be proud of the risks I took for Jesus. Paul also says to be bold when we face our enemies. If we do that, it shows our confidence in what we believe. Otherwise, our faith, Christ's salvation, appear to not be strong enough or enough of a motivating factor for us to stand for.

In Isaiah 48, it says, "I tested you in hard times just as silver is refined in a heated furnace. I did this because of who I am." This kind of verse appears in psalms and proverbs, and probably other places too. First, God says that he does test us with hard times. This life is going to be tough. If not now, then eventually. But, he compares it to the process of heating silver in a furnace for the purpose of refinement. It isn't to scald, to burn, to melt away, but to purify and make it better. Our trials and struggles aren't punishment, they are opportunities for us to be better, more faithful, more pure, more like Christ. And why do we face troubles and why does God want to refine us? Because of who he is. I take this to mean that he is a God that wants us to be more holy, blameless, that he loves us enough to challenge us so that we can grow, rather than being left in the impure, rough state that we are. He loves us enough to spend time helping us grow.