From His Heart

[Judy Harder]

BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO PRAY

Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things,
which you do not know.
Jeremiah 33:3 

When I was a freshman in college, I was in a discipleship group consisting of six guys, five UT freshman students and our discipleship leader, a godly man in his late 40s. At the end of our weekly meetings, we would always close in prayer with each of us praying. I was nervous when it came time for me to pray. Know why? Because I didn't really know what to say. I was a fairly new Christian and this thing called prayer (especially public prayer) was not easy to do. I ran out of things to pray for after 60 seconds.

Have you ever struggled with prayer? Have you ever bowed your head, bowed your knees, and shot all your prayer bullets in less than a minute or two? Have you ever heard about people praying for hours and secretly wondered how in the world do they do that?

How can you go to the next level in prayer? How can you become a person of prayer who really connects with God and sees Him answer?

TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF

In those early days in that discipleship group, I never felt like my prayers were eloquent enough. I somehow got the erroneous idea that to "really" pray, I had to sound like William Shakespeare. It was so freeing to learn that God is not impressed with my eloquence or disappointed in my lack of eloquence. He simply wants to hear me pray humbly and reverently from the heart. He wants me to share openly and honestly with Him. He wants me to tell Him what is going on in my life, what I am struggling with, what I am afraid of, and where I need His help - "Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us" (Psalm 62:.

Remember, God is not watching the clock when we pray. He is not saying, "You know, I would have answered that prayer if you had gone another 45 seconds." Don't get too hung up in the time issue. Talk to God like you would talk to a best friend. That is what He is, "a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24).

PRAY THE WORD

God loves His Word. If you want to know the will of God, read His Word. The will of God is found in the Word of God. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us that we can be confident that God will answer prayers according to His will. So, if you will simply pray Scripture back to God, you can be assured that He will answer that type of prayer.

A good place to go for prayers in the Bible is Psalms. David was known as "a man after God's own heart." He has LOTS of honest, humble, heartfelt prayers in Psalms that you can claim for your own and pray them back to God.

BE ENCOURAGED

My friend, prayer is not given to us to be torturous and a source of guilt and condemnation. It is given by God to connect us to Him. The King over the universe longs to hear from little old you and me. WOW!

The Bible tells us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). The way you do that is to call on God as soon as you wake up in the morning and never hang up the phone. Talk to Him all throughout the day. Share your every trial and every triumph with Him. It makes all the difference in the world and will draw your heart close to the King.

With Prayer,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171

Jeff Schreve is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Texarkana, Texas. He and his wife Debbie have been married for over 20 years and are blessed with three wonderful girls. Jeff began From His Heart Ministries, a radio and television ministry, in January of 2005. This ministry is completely listener/viewer supported. It continues only through the faithful and generous gifts of people like you. Pastor Jeff takes no salary from this ministry. All gifts go to further the broadcast. 

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[Judy Harder]

THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART

Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

Just this week, I talked to a beautiful, Christian woman of the Philippines named Heather. I asked her about her dreams and goals for her life. She said she has two great dreams: to be a majorette (a lighthearted dream), and to be a housewife (a serious dream and desire). Since Heather is 30 years-old, she may never realize the majorette dream, but her desire for a godly husband is surely one that God wants to fulfill.

I asked Heather if she knew Psalm 37:4. She quoted it from memory. Obviously, that verse was one she was claiming as she prayed for God's man for her. Without a doubt, Psalm 37:4 is a great promise, but it is a CONDITIONAL promise. There is something you must do ("delight yourself in the Lord") in order to see God give you the desires of your heart. If you fail to do your part, if you fail to meet the conditions, the promise is null and void. So here is the key question: what exactly does it mean to "delight yourself in the Lord?"

The Hebrew word translated "delight" is anog. It literally means to be soft and pliable. In the PJV (Pastor Jeff Version), Psalm 37:4 reads, "Make yourself soft and pliable in the hands of the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Are you doing your part of Psalm 37:4? Are you making yourself soft and pliable in the skillful hands of the Potter?

POTTERY 101

Some years ago, I was given a pottery lesson by a dear friend and master potter. She showed me the tricks of the trade with regard to working on the wheel. It was GREAT fun. I will never forget one of the key things she told me, "For a skilled potter to be able to make a great piece, the clay has to be soft. If the clay is hard, stubborn, and non-pliable, the best of potters won't be able to make what they truly desire to make."

God is the Potter. You and I are the clay. Our only job as clay is to be soft and pliable in the hands of the Master. Our only job is to be yielded to Him and choose His will over our will.

JESUS IN THE GARDEN

When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, facing the cross and the sin of the world being placed on Him, He prayed three times that this cup of suffering, condemnation and judgment might pass from Him. And all three times, He ended His prayer with these words, "Yet not My will, but Thine be done." He chose to trust the will of the Father over anything and everything else. He knew His Father was/is full of love, and His will was/is "good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2). He yielded just like soft, pliable clay is supposed to do. And He was GREATLY rewarded for His obedience and faith.

EVALUATION

The other day, I watched again the wonderful movie, Facing The Giants. In that story, the coach and his wife were trying unsuccessfully to have children. Brokenheartedly, the coach asked his wife this penetrating question, "If God never gives us children, will you still love Him?" After honest soul-searching, her answer was YES! As a result, God gave her the desires of her heart, and she got pregnant.

Perhaps you are facing what appears to be the death of your dream. Perhaps the husband/wife you are longing for and praying for does not seem to be anywhere on the radar screen. Will you choose to love God and trust Him EVEN if your dream never materializes? That, my friend, is delighting yourself in the Lord. That gets God's attention. That causes God to fulfill His conditional promise.

Never forget that the Potter loves you and wants what is best for you. Let Him have His way and you will be thrilled and amazed at what is produced on the potter's wheel as He makes something stunningly beautiful of your life.

Love,


Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171

[Judy Harder]

WHEN YOU SIN BIG TIME

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in
lovingkindness to all who call upon You. Psalm 86:5

Have you ever committed a BIG, terrible sin and felt so condemned and horrible as a result? I know I have. When we get like this, it seems to take days and even weeks for the painful stench to subside. It is almost as if we are shunned by God until sufficient time has passed for Him to not be totally disgusted with us. But is that really the way God deals with His children? NO!

THE TRUTH

The Lord is not our "condemner," He is our Savior and Friend. He is "good and ready to forgive." He has a heart of love for us, EVEN when we sin HUGE sins that bring terrible devastation. Remember the prodigal had "dissed" his father something fierce. He had wasted his father's money on parties and prostitutes. He ended up in the pig sty of life, needy, broken, sin-stained, and alone. He was filthy inside and out. Yet when he repented and returned to his father, he found his father to be "good and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness." What a beautiful picture of the mercy and grace of God that is available to us when we repent!

WHAT TO DO

Let me encourage you, no matter what terrible sins you have committed, to take those sins to Jesus in humility, brokenness, and true repentance. Believe His Word. He will receive you, and lavish on you complete and total forgiveness and restoration. The consequences of your sin don't magically disappear as a result, but your heart is immediately made right with God. And that is the most important thing.

TWO MOUNTAINS

If you have BIG sins from your past that continually haunt you and bring you down, if you are struggling with guilt, shame and condemnation, go to the right place with those sins. Go to Mount Calvary.

You see, there are two great mountains in Scripture: Sinai in the Old Testament and Calvary in the New. Sinai is the mountain where Moses received the 10 Commandments. It is the mountain of Law. The Law was given to show us we are guilty before God. It was given to lead us to Christ and His grace. When you sin as a Christian, do not take your sin to Sinai. At Sinai, you will only find condemnation as the Law cries out, "SINNER!" Take your sin to Calvary, the mountain on which Christ died. At Calvary, you will find mercy, grace, and the blood of Jesus that washes white as snow.

Love,

[Judy Harder]

ENDURING OR ENJOYING?

In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalm 16:11

When I was a kid, I remember times when I got sick. My mom would make me take medicine so I could get better. I hated taking medicine. It always tasted so terrible. I wasn't able to swallow pills very well, so every pill had to be chewed up and swallowed, and every liquid had to be choked down amidst gags and minor dry heaves. I endured the medicine so that I could get well.

Did you know that is how some people view the Christian life? They view it as if it were akin to bad medicine that one must take in order to get well. It is definitely not something anyone really likes; it is just a necessary burden and chore. It is something you must endure, not something you could possibly enjoy. Hmmm.

MAN'S CHIEF END

Have you ever read the opening statement of The Westminster Shorter Catechism of 1648? Probably not. But it is really good as it sates, "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever." Did you catch that? We were created to glorify God and enjoy God forever. And forever is supposed to start right now!

MAN'S BEST FRIEND

Jesus Christ is the best friend a person could possibly imagine. He loves us no matter what, and He refuses to ever stop. He never leaves us or deserts us in our time of need. He is there as we walk though every dark valley. He listens to us and counsels us in our troubles and trials. He is a God full of love, joy, peace and excitement - and He wants to fill your heart and life with all those wonderful things.

If you have been guilty of enduring religion instead of enjoying salvation, the time is now to change gears. The Lord Jesus Christ wants you to walk with Him. He wants to help you walk in His ways so that you can be blessed and be a blessing to others. The Christian life is not a penalty, it is a privilege! It is an unfathomable, totally undeserved privilege to live everyday in the presence and fellowship of the King of the universe. WOW!

Life is too short to miss out on the great joy that is available to you and me as we take the hand of Jesus and live life with Him. Will you do it?

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, help me to walk in the light with You. Help me to see how much You love me and how much You want to empower me to rise above my difficult circumstances. Help me to see You as You really are, "a friend of sinners" and "a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Help me to jettison my burdensome religion (with its long list of rules and regulations) and start enjoying a wonderful salvation and relationship with the Savior. Thank You, Lord, that the chief end of man is to glorify You and enjoy You forever. I choose to start today! In Jesus' name, Amen!

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171

[Judy Harder]

THE TRAGEDY OF UNCASHED CHECKS

For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also
by Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. 2 Corinthians 1:20


When I was a kid, I did not really understand how a check worked. I just viewed it as cash, and I would keep it in my drawer until I needed it. Someone told me one day, "Hey Jeff, that is not a wise move. That check is not good indefinitely. You need to cash it while the cashing is still good."

Have you ever held on to a check too long only to discover it was no longer good? That is an unpleasant experience. When that happens, I want to put on the dunce cap and sit in the corner. UGH! How could I have been so lazy and so foolish?

GOD'S CHECKS

Have you ever stopped to realize this truth: "the Bible is a giant checkbook of promises"? God has made us a ton of promises. And, according to 2 Corinthians 1:20, Jesus has signed every single one of them. His sacrifice on the cross validated all the promises of God that have been given to us. But why do so many of God's promises go uncashed?

Do God's promises go uncashed because He does not have the means to pay and sufficiently cover His promises? Certainly not! God's promises so often go uncashed in our lives because you and I fail to take those checks to heaven's bank and cash them!

WHERE IS YOUR AMEN?

Look at that verse again in 2 Corinthians 1:20: "For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also by Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us." The way you cash God's promise checks is by endorsing the back of the check with your AMEN... with your "let it be so."

We cash the promise checks when we say to God, "Lord Your word has promised me peace in the midst of my storm (Philippians 4:6-7), and I am here to cash that promise. I say, 'Let it be so' in my life, just as You have promised me.'" My friend, God LOVES it when we believe Him enough to endorse His promises and take them to heaven's bank for cashing.

FINDING PROMISES

Let me encourage you as I encourage myself, take time every day to read God's Word and claim His promises for your life. Remember the words of Peter on the day of Pentecost, "For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to Himself" (Acts 2:39). Claiming promises is simply another way of saying you choose to walk by faith and not by sight. And walking by faith is what pleases God (Hebrews 11:6). Why not start TODAY?

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171

[Judy Harder]

Friday, September 10, 2010   

WHAT'S IN YOUR HAND?

And the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?"
Exodus 4:2


Let me ask you a question: What are you good at doing? What talent and ability do you possess? Perhaps you are good at singing, or speaking, or teaching, or organizing, or working with your hands, or drawing/painting, or playing sports, or putting together business deals, or playing an instrument. Everyone is good at something. What is that something for you?

MOSES

Do you know what Moses was good at doing? He was good at being a shepherd. He was a shepherd in Midian for 40 years. When God met him at the burning bush and commissioned him to deliver Israel from Pharaoh, Moses felt VERY ill-equipped for the task and argued with God that He had the wrong guy. And God did something strange with Moses. He asked him, "What is that in your hand?" (Exodus 4:2).

In Moses' hand was his shepherd's staff. That staff represented Moses' career, his livelihood, his ABILITY. And God said to him, "Throw it on the ground" (Exodus 4:3).

When Moses threw it on the ground, the staff became a snake. Moses had no idea there was a snake in his staff. Moses was afraid and ran from the snake. Then God told him to pick up the snake by the tail, and the snake became a staff again. No longer was the staff the "rod of Moses," it was now the "rod of God." It was now ready to be used not to lead sheep, but to lead God's people—about two million strong. Moses staff had been transformed, and it was going to be used for great things!

Moses stretched out the "rod of God" and the Red Sea parted (Exodus 14). Moses lifted up the "rod of God" and the Israelites won the battle against Amalek (Exodus 17). A wonderful transformation took place in Moses' ability because he was willing to obey God and "throw it [his staff] on the ground" before the Lord.

THROW IT DOWN

Did you know that what you are naturally good at doing, what you are ABLE to do by your strength, ingenuity and talent is just like Moses' staff? Your "ability" has a snake in it. And until your "ability" is thrown down and yielded to the Lord, it can never be used for His glory.

What is in your hand? Will you throw it down before the Lord? Will you freely and willingly give that ability over to God so He can remove the serpent from it, anoint it, and use it for greater things than you could possibly imagine?

God is asking you to throw it down. What is your answer to Him?

PRAYER

Lord, You have given me an aptitude and an ability for ___________________. 
It is what I am good at doing. I want to yield that ability to You. I freely and willingly throw it down before your feet. It is no longer mine; it is Yours. Please take the snake out of it so I can truly serve for Your glory and not for my glory. I look with expectation and excitement for what You are going to do in me and through me, Lord, for You are the God who does "exceeding abundantly beyond all we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20). And I claim that abundance in Jesus' name!

Love,


Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171

[Judy Harder]

ARE YOU GIVING YOUR BEST?


Anyone who knows me knows I love Rocky Balboa, the Italian Stallion. I think one of the reasons I love the Rocky character so much is because he was a fighter with limited ability but tons of heart. He fought with all that he had, and then some.

When the unheralded Rocky Balboa first fought Apollo Creed, no one took the fight seriously. It was supposed to be a cake walk for Apollo, the skilled, polished, undisputed champion of the world. But the cake walk turned into a 15-round battle for survival that Apollo barely won by a split decision. As a result of the fight, both men ended up in the same hospital, battered and bruised. In one special hospital scene, Rocky wheels himself into Apollo's room and asks him this penetrating question, "Apollo, did you give me your best?" Going the distance with the champ only meant something to Rocky if he knew Apollo had truly given his best.

GOD'S BEEF WITH HIS PEOPLE

In the book of Malachi, God was very displeased with His people. Do you know why? It was because they were not giving their best. They were coming before the Lord with their scraps and the leftovers of their lives. They were offering mangy, crippled, flee-infested lambs as offerings and keeping the good lambs for themselves. They were giving far, far less than their best. Hear what God thinks of less than your best, leftover worship:

"When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn't that wrong? And isn't it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!" says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should He show you any favor at all?" asks the LORD of Heaven's Armies. —Malachi 1:8-9, NLT

ARE YOU GUILTY OF THE SAME?

Be honest. What are you giving to God—the best of your time, talent and treasure, or something far less? Jesus said, "Seek FIRST His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things [food, clothing, and the necessities of life] will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33). Are you really seeking Him first? Or are you putting your job, your money, your recreation, your family, your friends, your TV shows, and even your Facebook page ahead of Him?

To the people of Malachi's day who were giving God the mangy, crippled lambs, He reminded them that He was a great King who should be feared, revered and respected to the highest degree (Malachi 1:14). To the people of our day giving God the scraps of their lives, God says, "I see what you are doing. I see into your heart and know you are giving Me your leftovers. You desperately need to get a fresh glimpse of who I am before it is too late."

Take some time today to read Isaiah 41 and let your mind consider the unfathomable greatness of God. He spoke the world into existence! Universes drip from His fingertips! What an awesome privilege we have to know Him, worship Him, and call upon His name. Let us never offer to God anything less than our very best, for He alone is worthy.


Love,

[Judy Harder]

 
PEACE IN THE STORM

Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. Psalm 55:22

The other day, I had the great privilege of meeting with a very special lady and her wonderful husband. Linda has been battling breast cancer for the last few months. She has experienced all the fear that naturally accompanies being told the terrible news, "You have cancer." But Linda did not remain fearful for long.

Soon after getting this devastating news, Linda and her husband took their burden to the Lord. They told Him it was too great for them to carry. They cried out to Him for mercy, grace, and healing. They cast the burden of this breast cancer at His feet. Since that day, they have had tremendous peace in the midst of the storm.

The Secret to Experiencing Peace in the Storm

Why is it that Linda and her husband are experiencing such tremendous peace and other people facing heavy burdens are not? What is the secret to experiencing peace in the midst of a great storm?

Cast your burden on the Lord and LEAVE IT with Him. While many people know about casting their burden on the Lord, few really do it for very long. Our tendency is to pray about a problem... give it to the Lord, so to speak... and then take it back as soon as we say, "Amen." We let the Lord see our burden, but our tendency is to never really leave it with Him. That formula never produces peace.

My Taxes

I used to do all my own personal accounting. When tax time rolled around, I was busy gathering receipts and checking facts and figures. It was a stressful time making sure all was done correctly. It was my burden and my responsibility. When I acquired the services of a skilled, trustworthy CPA, however, the burden of correctly filling out my tax returns was transferred from my shoulders to her shoulders. No longer was I sweating due dates, checking and rechecking figures. I was enjoying life, leaving the burden of the tax forms to her. What a freeing experience!

Now it would be really foolish for me to hire Debra, my CPA, to do my taxes... and then go to her office each day to work on them too. She knows LOTS more than I do about taxes... and she is honest as the day is long and sharp as a tack. The wise, peace-producing move is to let her do her job.

God knows LOTS more about burdens than we do. He has all power and all authority. The wise move is to take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there with Him. He can be trusted with the worst of situations.

But I am so Worried!

How can you tell if you have picked your burden back up again? It is easy. If you are worried and bothered over your burden, you have taken it back. Once you cast it on the Lord, it is His problem, His worry, not yours. The moment worry and fear creep in, recognize what you have done - reclaimed the burden - and pray immediately, giving it all back to Jesus.

If you and I are going to experience the Lord's great peace, we need to learn to cast our heavy burdens on Him and leave them at His feet. We were not made to carry heavy burdens. That is His job. Will you let Him do His job?

Love,

[Judy Harder]

WHAT EVERY CHILD NEEDS

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!"
Matthew 17:5


Have you ever met a parent who was not a good parent? Sure. We all have. But have you ever met a parent whose ambition and goal was to be a bad parent and hurt his or her child? I don't think so. I believe every parent wants to do a good job and raise sweet, respectful, well-adjusted, productive, successful, happy children. Tragically, so many of us fail to see the desired results in this crazy little thing called parenting.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

While there are tons of books written on the subject of parenting, let me share with you a simple but profound insight I learned a couple of years ago at Men's Fraternity. If you want to be a good parent, do what God the Father did with His Son, the Lord Jesus. He said three things that are so important for a parent to say... so important for a child to hear.


1. I love you! ("This is My beloved Son...") Let your sons and daughters know that you love them! Let them hear those three words - I LOVE YOU - come out of your mouth often. And follow up those words with actions that prove your love.


2. I am proud of you! ("...with whom I am well-pleased.") Let your kids know you are proud of them. Let them hear those exact words from your lips. I tell my three girls regularly that I love them and am so proud of them. They never tire of hearing that from their daddy. And being proud of your kids has nothing to do with performance. The Father told Jesus He was proud of Him at His baptism ... even before Jesus preached His first sermon or performed His first miracle.


3. I think you are good at __________________. ("Listen to Him!") Listen to My Son because He is good and has a message you desperately need to hear. Your kids long to know you think they are good at something. They long to hear you brag on their schoolwork, their artwork, their athletic ability, their drama skills, their singing, their writing, their whatever. Don't go to their games/events and tell them how good so-and-so is. Tell them how good they are! It makes all the difference in the world.

Dr. Dobson said it best: "Parenting isn't for cowards." Parenting is hard, tiring, often thankless, often discouraging work. We can easily wonder if we are doing anything right at all.

I promise you, if you will do the three things the Father did with Jesus, you will make an impact on your child that will last a lifetime. Even if your kids are grown and gone... it is never too late to tell them, "I love you, I am proud of you, and you are so good!"

Love,

[Judy Harder]

Friday, October 8, 2010 

THE REFINER'S FIRE

While And He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness.
Malachi 3:3

I remember when Debbie and I were a young married couple and bought our first backyard grill. It was exciting. I was going to start "grilling out" like other guys did. I was going to be "Chef Jeff," griller extraordinaire... or so I envisioned.

One of my first experiences as "Chef Jeff" was grilling chicken for some friends. It was their first time over to our house for dinner. With virtually no cooking skills to my credit, I mistakenly took the chicken off the fire too soon. Some may like rare steak, but nobody likes rare chicken ... and Salmonella. At the table, my guests politely asked if I could put their chicken back on the grill to cook it a little longer. UGH! I understood, but it was still an "UGH" experience. (I decided to keep my day job and let Emeril get all the cooking glory.)

NEVER TOO SOON AND NEVER TOO LATE

Did you know the Lord puts His children on the grill, so to speak? He leads us into fiery trials. He puts us in the furnace of affliction, into the smelting pot of refinement. It is really hot and unpleasant in the fire. No one likes fiery trials ... but everyone needs them in order to be made more like Jesus.

Malachi 3:3 reminds us that the Lord "sits as a smelter and purifier of silver." In His infinite love, God watches over us as we are going through the flames of the refining process. He is using our fiery trials to purge the impurities and remove the dross of sin and selfishness from our lives.

Perhaps you feel as if God has forgotten you in the fire. Perhaps you feel as if He has gotten busy with other things and has left you to languish. Perhaps you feel as if the chicken was done a long time ago. Listen, my friend ... God watches you in the refining pot. He never sleeps or slumbers because He never takes His eyes off His children.

He is a master refiner, a master chef. He knows what He is doing in your life and mine. He has a purpose in every trial. He never takes us out too early, like I did with those chicken breasts, and He never leaves us in too long. Regardless of what we face, we can rest assured that our loving refiner is watching and will be faithful to do what is best for us.

SEE HIS REFLECTION

How does the refiner know when the process is completed? It is completed when all the dross is removed, and the refiner can see His own reflection in the precious metal.

God is working on you and me so that people can see Jesus in us. John the Baptist put it this way, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). Trust God in the fire. He is working every trial together for our good and His glory.

Love,