Refine: to bring to a fine or a pure state; free from impurities (dictionary.com)
In all this, you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy 1 Peter 1:6-8 NIV
On this 30th of 31 days of gleaning with Ruth – questioning my way through my own personal famine season, I ponder the word {refine} with a hopeful heart and a refreshed spirit. Yes, without a doubt, I am – we, my husband and I are – in a season of refinement and it’s a painful process, yet clearly, throughout God’s word, He assures us it is for our good and His glory!
To Peter, Holy Spirit inspired an illustration of refinement by fire, which we can read also in Jeremiah, Isaiah, and the Psalms just for starters. I’m also reminded of the words in Hebrews 12:29, which harken back to Deuteronomy – for our God is a consuming fire.
Those are the illustrations to which I’ve grown accustomed. They speak mightily to me because of growing up near the Everglades in Florida. I’m well aware of the devastation a fire will cause over acres upon acres of land, and yet there’s something miraculous that happens as a result of all the extraneous foilage being burned away. The seeds hidden down under the ground’s surface are broken open by the heat of the fire and soon green shoots of new life spring up out of the ashes. New life – cleansed and purified.
Through my gleaning up and down and around again through the scriptures in Ruth I’ve been challenged with a different illustration of refinement. God, by way of His Holy Spirit living in us and teaching us, has the best ideas for expanding our understanding in the various seasons of our lives. His goodness is evident in that He really wants us to understand we are never alone. Never will He leave us…never will He forsake us.
So, gleanings of refinement from the book of Ruth:
Famine – we begin with a time of trial. The people of Israel were living out cycles of disobedience, consequences, crying out to God, turning back to Him in repentance and peace.
Similarly, the agriculture, all of God’s creation, experienced cycles of drought, famine, rain, refreshed soil, seed, and harvest. It’s a natural process because we live in a broken, sin-soaked world.
And so, even though at times we are tempted to believe God is doing something terrible to us and the enemy takes his best shot in our weakness to try to convince us God is not good, we need to go back to what we know is true.
We have to remember the truth of Who God is, and who we are redeemed in Him. We need to remember the seed of His word sewn deep in the soil of our hearts. We choose to resist the devil and draw near to God. We yield our dry hearts to receive His Living water and in time the harvest will come again.
God refines us through the cycles of famine and harvest.
Harvest – this is the time of refreshing, returning for Naomi and adoption for Ruth. This is the time of plenty. Food is gathered and shared with the poor, the widows and foreigners inhabiting the land.
And part of the harvesting process is threshing.
to thresh – to separate the grain or seeds from (a cereal plant or the like) as in wheat – to separate the edible part (the grain) from the stalk – as with wheat or barley (dictionary.com)
I’m going to need to chew on these truths awhile longer because I’m fascinated with these few details Holy Spirit is unveiling for me in the idea of threshing coming with the harvest.
Who was responsible for the threshing of the wheat and barley harvest?
The Kinsman Redeemer – Boaz
Why was threshing necessary?
To refine the wheat/barley for making bread with which to feed the people.
In this we are able to see Jesus – our Kinsman-Redeemer – who allowed Himself to be threshed, broken open in our place. He didn’t need the refining and yet He took it in our place. Jesus told us – and tells us still through His living and active word – He is the Bread of Life.
Every table is an altar – please enjoy this worship of Jesus, the Bread of Life broken for us that we might be revived and live free – yielded to His refinement. Receive the Glory Lord.
Ponders:
One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Ruth 3:1-2
Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’” Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.” Ruth 3:16-18
- Will you ask Holy Spirit what He wants you to know about your current season of refinement? Possibly past seasons of refinement are still a mystery and painful. What healing do You want to bring to us, Jesus?
- Will you? And will I yield to our good God and Kinsman Redeemer so He might refine us for our good and His glory?
Eyes on Jesus…you’re Shining!
~Lisa
Thank you Lisa. God is a consuming fire, the fire that refines us.