The Crucible
“The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives.” Proverbs 27:21 niv
What sort of grit is inside of you?
When I think of the word Crucible I automatically think of the United States Marine Corp. Marines are formed and made when they enter the Crucible and only when they come through this refining pot have they earned the right to be called a Marine and given the badge of the eagle, globe and anchor.
Emotions run high for everyone who is connected to a recruit.
Once a single mother who had 3 former Marines who survived The Crucible, I suffered long distant, we were near spiritually; yet far physically and I prayed for them on a regular basis. Rumors about the Crucible were rampant throughout boot camp. Fear and self doubts would question their hearts. Would their physical and mental capability bring them through? Could they do it? Would they pass the tests? Any stubbornness, pride, selfishness, me first attitude, wrong habits and thinking patterns were crushed, broken and replaced with the attitude of loyalty, faithfulness and having your team members back. The corp has no room for a lone wolf. Together they are compadres. They learned to give themselves and to trust each other in any kind of situation. They learned that real love gives. They learned that sacrifice meant giving your life for your buddy. The Crucible prepared them for war. And, to war my sons went, time and again. To this day, I tear up over what they have been through, but God in his mercy kept bringing them back home. My oldest son stayed in the corp over 20 years. Middle son, 30 years and youngest son got out after 8 years, and I am forever thankful. Although some will disagree with me, a military vet from any branch of the USA who has been to war has more understanding about the reality of life in their small pinkie, then some who have been to an ivy league university and sat under the atheistic intellect of a secular professor that declares there is no God. Without hesitation, I confidently say this; because our Vets have walked through the fiery furnace of affliction and met God.
There is no doubt, all true godly warriors know there is a God because the refining pot has opened their eyes to the truth and enabled them to get their eyes off of themselves. Self praise and pride are buried. They soon learn to be humble and careful to give glory to God. These people are quick to forgive and full of the mercies they themselves have experienced and walk with a deep gratitude that is completely foreign to the world.
We all have our own “Customized Crucibles.” Many consider the trial to be the fruit of the Holy Spirit called “long suffering.” The heat in your life is turned up and all the impurities of self begins to be burned up. Only when the suffering one yields and becomes pliable to God, asking for help through His son Jesus Christ will the infirmities be healed and replaced with godly truth of what is important in life. His Holy Spirit calls out to you. Everything changes and you will never be the same.
No longer, “Me first.” But “God first.”
Not our will, but His will.
Not our pride, but pride and confidence in God.
What He does through us.
His glory, not ours.
The purging gives us an understanding of accountability. We begin to choose our thoughts, words, attitude and steps in God. And then, we walk through the rows of fertilized fields and see the seeds we have sown in our “life gardens” whether they be good or evil and we discover much to be worthless. No-one can survive on a worthless crop.
Here is the good news; In Psalm 103:10 niv says, “He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.”
This could be why some of the sinful seeds in our lives become worthless. God’s mercy does not give us what we deserve. It is not within our capacity to completely understand God’s ways. He knows our hearts better than we do.
He told Moses, ”I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” Romans 9:15
Turn the coin over and we see another side.
Jeremiah 6:29,30 niv says,
“The bellows blow fiercely to burn away the lead with fire, but the refining goes on in vain; the wicked are not purged out. They are called rejected silver, because the Lord has rejected them”
1. Resisting control or authority
2. Stubborn or unmanageable
3. Resistant to treatment or cure
4. Unresponsive to stimulus
5. Difficult to fuse, corrode or draw out
6. Especially, capable of enduring high temperature
7. A refractory person or thing
8. Especially a heat resisting ceramic material
There are those who are placed in the refinery pot, but in vain. They are ones who refuse to listen to warnings, have no shame, resist authority because they have hardened their hearts. They purposely refuse all counsel and godly advice. They choose darkness over light.
The hard words of Jeremiah calls them; “Rejected Silver” because the Lord rejected them. He was talking about “My People” at the time.
Every time we are placed in a refinery pot of trials, our metals are being tested to see what is inside of us. God already knows, but we go through these trials for us to know and be held accountable to what is still inside of us and then, to deal with it.
You may ask, why are some so stubborn? And We think, “what will it take?” There are too many reasons to list. One single thing the rebellious all have in common is rejecting the truth about Jesus Christ. They defiantly reject the forgiveness they so desperately need. Pray, never give up. The Holy Spirit is drawn to humble hearts and will resist the proud. He knows exactly what it will take for your loved one to yield.
The Bible talks about how “if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us.”
Do you see that blinking sign that says, “this is only a test?”
When you find yourself mistreated, lied to, rejected, abused and all alone and begin to think that few people care or understand what you are going through, one of the first things you can do for yourself is to take the time to look around you. There will always be people who are going through worse trials than yourself.
Examples:
If you are having financial difficulties in making payments for your home or car, look around; there are those who have lost everything they had through a storm.
Smile, your financial problems can be remedied through wise godly counsel.
Do you you keep repeating the same test over and over and are puzzled in how to break those chains?
Many have quoted the Bible saying, “the anointing breaks the yolk of bondage,” but that is a misquote. At times we are like that of the ox who has his yolk around his neck and given a life of servitude and he appears to be without hope.
The real Hebrew interpretation tells us to begin to feed yourself an abundance of godly food [Bible] and godly spiritual praise music over and over. You will become so fat upon the goodness of God, the yolk will be broken and fall free from your neck. This is the true meaning and solution of the anointing that breaks the yolk.
Lost your job? Some are not able to work.
Being able to work is a gift from God. There are times God removes one from his position and replaces. Many times, he has a much better plan for you. Seek his will and pray through your trial.
Tired of the same old meals? Some would give anything to eat what we have. There can be wisdom in simplicity if we look for it.
First, check your heart to see if you are walking in thankfulness. Second, If you have run out of ideas and “bored” with your meals, be adventurous and explore different recipes. You are only limited by the way you think.
You might say, “You don’t understand what we have gone through with our child, she has been so sick.” This is true. Only someone who has walked in your refining pot has the same understanding that you do.
But, we go through these things for more reasons than one and sometimes so others can weep on our shoulders and you can give comfort and say, “I really do understand what you are going through, because I went through it too.” These words are like a healing salve upon their wounds. God uses every single thing we go through for us to give away his love to mend hearts.
Whatever your refining pot, there is someone going through a higher degree of heat than yourself.
Those who have been through the Crucibles in life, have callouses on their hands, but also on their knees. They do not take their salvation for granted nor the allotted time given to him by God. They detest all evil, but understand where and why it comes. These people can be bold in Christ, but are careful not to judge, because chances are; they have walked in their shoes. They have an over abundance of empathy and cry with thankfulness over God’s mercy in their lives. They have learned to fear God and the Bible says, “SO great is His love for them.”
If you have not been born again and if you have been going through a series of trials in your life and have wondered if they were ever going to stop in your life. Listen to what The Holy Spirit is saying to you. He tells us that we must repent from our sins and be born again in order for us to be saved. Saved from what you ask?
Saved from your soul going to hell. Yes, there is a hell, just as there is a heaven. Jesus was given the express power to pass judgement upon those who refuse to accept that He is the Son of God and a complete pure sacrifice upon the cross for you and me so we could have forgiveness of our sins. He took our place upon that cross so we could be set free from ourselves, have our sins erased and enter into a new life in Him now and eternity.
Let’s pray
Precious Heavenly Father,
I realize I have sinned. I realize now, that you have been trying to get my attention through the very things I have done. Your word says that we have all sinned. I accept that your Son Jesus Christ died for me so I can have eternal life. Please forgive my sins [confess them]________. I am so sorry. Set me free Lord. I ask for a spirit of repentance to help me follow through to repent in my heart, mind and soul. Send your Holy Spirit to completely fill me and my life. Give me this power to be strong throughout any trials with your truth. Thank you Lord, in Jesus I ask; amen.
If you have prayed, the Bible says you have been born-again. Now, you have the responsibility to grow and learn how to be the Overcomer you are called to be. Find a good Bible believing church and get into a study group. Ask questions, take notes and learn how to study by yourself. Your faith is called to be victorious and now you must learn. Welcome into the family. You are loved!
https://www.heritage.org/defense/report/the-looming-national-security-crisis-young-americans-unable-serve-the-military
See Definitions:
The crucible in Hebrew means “masrep” meaning a “Refining Pot.”
Webster said:
cru·ci·ble | \ ˈkrü-sÉ™-bÉ™l
Definition of crucible
1
2
: a severe test
He's ready to face the crucible of the Olympics.
3
: a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development
… conditioned by having grown up within the crucible of Chinatown …
— Tom Wolfe
His character was formed in the crucible of war.
The word refractory has a special meaning too.
re·frac·to·ry | \ ri-ˈfrak-t(É™-)rÄ“
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (a.) Obstinate in disobedience; stubborn; unmanageable; as, a refractory child; a refractory beast.
2. (a.) Resisting ordinary treatment; difficult of fusion, reduction, or the like; -- said especially of metals and the like, which do not readily yield to heat, or to the hammer; as, a refractory ore.
3. (n.) A refractory person.
4. (n.) Refractoriness.
5. (n.) (Pottery) A piece of ware covered with a vaporable flux and placed in a kiln, to communicate a glaze to the other articles.
Definition of refractory (Entry 1 of 2)
1
2
a
: resistant to treatment or cure
a refractory lesion
b
: unresponsive to stimulus
c
after recovery they were refractory to infection
3
: difficult to fuse, corrode, or draw out
especially : capable of enduring high temperature
plural refractories
Definition of refractory (Entry 2 of 2)
: a refractory person or thing
especially : a heat-resisting ceramic material
Greek
... in line with" (fit in with) God's plan; uncooperative, with a defiant attitude towards
duly-appointed authority; uncontrollable, refractory (unsubjected); anti ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/506.htm - 7k
Strong's Hebrew
... A primitive root; to turn away, ie (morally) be refractory -- X away, backsliding,
rebellious, revolter(-ing), slide back, stubborn, withdrew. 5636, 5637. ...
/hebrew/5637.htm - 6k
... Word Origin from maen Definition refusing NASB Word Usage who refuse (1). refuse.
From ma'en; refractory -- refuse. see HEBREW ma'en. 3986, 3987. meen. 3988 ...
/hebrew/3987.htm - 6k
