Like a refiner of silver he will sit and closely watch as the dross is burned away. He will purify the Levites, the ministers of God, refining them like gold or silver, so that they will do their work for God with pure hearts.  Malachi 3:3 (Living)

I once had a neighbor that would burn his yard every year.  He’d set it on fire and watch it burn.  The first year I saw him do it I thought it was so weird but year after year he ended up having the most beautiful yard in the neighborhood.  In the end, his fire wasn’t harming his yard.  It was burning away thatch and other things that keep lawns from growing like they should.

Many times, God allows problems, trials, and stressful times in our lives.  He doesn’t do it to hurt us.  He does it to purify us.  He isn’t burning us (even though we feel the heat).  He’s actually burning all sorts of things that are around us.  He’s burning away some things that have entangled us.  He lovingly burns away the accumulation of thatch in our lives.  He removes the things that will keep us from being all that we can be in Him.  He purifies us so that we can walk with Him with pure hearts.

Even though I saw this work every year, I never did it to my lawn.  Why?  I just never had the time.  Okay, more truthfully, I just didn’t want to invest the time.  My neighbor did invest the time and went through all the effort of doing it because he cared about his yard more than I cared about mine.

What I love about the verse above is that it says that God sits down and closely watches the process.  He never allows troubles in our lives and then walks away.  Never!  He isn’t lazy or careless.  No.  He actually sits down and works the whole process with attention to the details because He cares.  He invests in you and me because He cares.  He invested Himself into every aspect of our lives.

I’m also reminded of the fact that my neighbor always held a garden hose in his hand while his yard was burning.  He was ready at any moment to step in and stop the fire.  God is the same way.  He will not let us be harmed.  He’s too good to allow that to happen.  We may be uncomfortable.  We may be confused but we will not be harmed.

So, consider it pure joy, my friends, whenever you face trials of many kinds.  Trust the fact that every trial that’s in your life is there for a purpose that will eventually help you.  Always remember, too, that the Father is sitting near you and watching closely.  Know that He hasn’t forgotten about you and that these fires will be put out very instant they are no longer needed!