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Surrendered to Love
by Jeannie Pallett
Several weeks back while on holiday and visiting at a friend's church I saw a banner someone had made that has left a lasting impression upon my heart. It is influencing every circumstance I have been facing. I wish that I could draw it all out for you, alas, I cannot so I will try to use my words as an artist uses his brush.
Imagine if you would, black velvet as an empty canvas...and then something changes, something is added. An earthen vessel is created. Within that clay vessel is me, is you...We've been in a crouched position for some time, we've been unsure as to who we are, unsure how to react to the unpleasant circumstances facing us this day. I wake up in the night and know today is different than it was yesterday, yesterday cannot be retrieved or changed and I cry out to God to be my strength. The perfection of yesterday is gone, is but a memory. Little do we know that this is the beginning of the song of the gold. It has been dark for so long but recently we have begun to see light through the cracks in our vessel. We are just beginning to stand and from our semi-risen position we see the source of the light.
It is the light of fire, blazing flames of fire being poured out upon us by the Refiner's hands. We look more closely,studying the outstretched arms within the vessel. They are not stretched out for help, they are instead stretched out in praise. Could it truly be?
Yes! Realization and understanding have dawned. We are the treasure within the earthen vessel. We are a treasure, precious, valuable beyond measure to our Creator Refiner. His way of purifying us is by way of His fire.
We have risen but we have bowed in worship, arms lifted in worship to our King. We see the fire flowing from His hands, hands that have been pierced by nails, hands that have stroked a woman's hot brow and hands that hold each one of us in the palms, tenderly shaping and turning us so that we are always ready to receive the flow of fire.
Oh, how He loves us and how pleased He is as He sees the treasure within the earthen vessel. We are the gold refined in the fire. We are the gold.
Our difficulties, accidents, tests and trials have all been used as the fire of God. They have shaped us, caused us to determine our direction and they have not swayed us from our desire to gaze upon our Beloved's face. His truly has been the face of absolute grace and He has put a new song in our mouths. It is the song of the gold. "Purify, refine me till I am pure, Purify, refine me, make me wholly Thine. Purify, refine me let me shine with Your reflection. Fire light, glory light, let all dross in me, consumed by fire be, let me be as pure gold created and fashioned to worship You alone."
Will we worship Him in the fire? We can when we know the song of the gold! The dross has been removed from the gold - if we are the gold, what dross has been or is God desirous of removing from our lives?
His Word has been forged in our hearts and so our hearts will look for the gold of His Word. As we learn the song of the gold, we begin with simplicity:
- I know my Redeemer lives
- He is my Refuge and my Strength
- I will trust my God
- The truth of God's Word shall be my shield and buckler
Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances Proverbs 25:1 tells us and as we grow in the knowledge of God and His Word our lips will begin to speak the truths of God's Word into our circumstances and we will begin to shape and change and influence the days of our lives with hope.
Today I am choosing to sing the song of the gold, though the words crack through my tears that choke my voice, I will sing, I will sing because I know my God is good and His plans for me are good, plans that give me hope for my future, because He has promised to withold no good thing from me. I will sing because my times are in His hand and I know His promise is that all things work together for good and I know that He has called us and determined for us to live exactly where we are and nothing about any aspect of our lives is hidden from Him. He loves us and He is good, so very good and rich in love, mercy and compassion. I will trust Him, I will sing the song of the gold.
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