“Who has God been to you this week?”
That was the question the teacher asked at our Women’s Bible Study this week.
I gazed down at the long list of Names and Attributes of God printed out on the paper that she shared with us.
· He is my Hope (Psalm 71:5)
· He is my Restorer (Psalm 23:3)
· He is my Stronghold in the day of trouble (Nahum 1:7)
· He is my Refuge from the storm (2 Samuel 22:3)
· He is my Shade from the heat (Isaiah 25:4)
· He is my Refiner (Malachi 3:2-3)
In my mind the font seemed to change, the words grew bold, and the size increased by 20 points.
Why "Refiner"?
I wouldn’t have necessarily chosen it off the top of my head. I knew Him to be the others (and so much more) but as I straightened up and froze, I thought, “Refiner? Could that be what He is doing now?”
As I shared in my last post, with the exception of the conversation that we had in the kitchen a few days ago, the Lord has been terribly silent to me over the past few weeks.
I’m trying to read His Word and seek Him in prayer. I find myself pitched forward, listening and looking for what He is saying and for His direction – but nothing. Am I not hearing or is He intentionally being quiet for a reason?
I have felt His refining hand through trials and heartache, but could this be His refining? Is it a refining silence?
Is He speaking to my heart in a new way?
Is He saying:
Will you trust me even when I am quiet?
Do you believe I care about you, even when you cannot feel me?
Do you believe I love you even when you cannot see me?
Do you believe that I am here?
Do you believe?
Do you?
A refining silence? Maybe this is it. I am trying to trust Him in the process, knowing that He knows best and knows what needs to be refined in me. I believe that He loves me enough to shape me and mold me, in His perfect way. Perhaps a "refining silence" it is.
How about you, dear reader? Have you ever experienced a refining silence?
Who is God to you this week?
3 comments:
I can relate. It seems as though I want God to speak to me in exactly the same manner, at the same time each day, all the time. Yet God needs us to be flexible, to move with Him, so He changes things up... it usually takes me a few days (or weeks, or months) to tune in to His latest means of broadcasting. The good thing is once I know He'll speak to me in one way, I tend to be open to that from then on.
Blessings!
God is speaking to you . . . through His silence. He's growing your faith in unseen ways. He's showing you that your faith is at a point where you can BE TRUSTED WITH HIS SILENCE. It's part of the growth process . . . painful at times, but worth it. He knows what's ahead in your life and He wants you to have a deeper faith and trust in Him that goes beyond your "senses." He wants you to have an inner assurance that He is with you ALWAYS. Through His silence He's drawing you nearer, preparing you for the journey ahead.
Blessings!
Cherie
Thank you, Niki. I agree. I've noticed that the Lord does change up how He speaks to us. He keeps it interesting! And thank you Cherie. I believe that you are right -- we don't always understand it, but He IS preparing us for what is ahead. Only He knows what tomorrow holds and what we need. Thank you to both of you, for reminding me of the truths and encouraging me with your words. May the Lord bless you today as you love and serve Him.
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