Green Grass..

Do you often look at people you envy (I know God says not to do this) and say "I wish I could be them". Well... I'm beginning to see the grass is not always greener on the other side. As a Christian, walking this road of faith can be a real hard road to haul. Sometimes keeping the faith can be a real battle with the world pulling and tugging at you everywhere you go. No matter how great you see that person or family you would like to be...they too have battles and struggles they go through. We are all on a different part in this road of life and faith. It's how we react to the road blocks that come up from time to time, that allow us to continue to move forward or reverse. I prefer moving forward, but that is not always the case. I realise my God is right there with me during those times of idling and even the times of reverse. Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." When I placed my life in God's hands, I made a choice to follow Him no matter where that road leads. It's the tough times that mold us and allow us to someday minister to someone else who may be going down that same road we have traveled. I know for me, I would rather have counsel from someone who has "been there and done that".


Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this
statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered
to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their
next Bible Study.
That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch
him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest
beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver. As she watched the
silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He
explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle
of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought
again about the verse that says:

"He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front
of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that
yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his
eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a
moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do
you know when the silver is fully refined?"
He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in
it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye
on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.