What is the gold?


For the past couple years God has been speaking this to me regularly:


"I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent." - Revelation 3:18-19


In the past few months, in light of the economic situation in our country, this section of scripture is speaking to me even more. The Lord, speaking to a people who identify themselves with Him, who think of themselves as rich and needing nothing, who He says are actually, "...wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked...", gives a remedy that involves "buying."

So, I've been asking Him, "How do I buy this 'gold refined in fire' Lord? I get that there will be fiery trials that we will have opportunity to buy, that is, let go of something we hold dear in exchange for something You are allowing in our lives, but what is the gold?"

Last night, after watching Expelled, I was brought to my knees. I was overwhelmed by the lies, and the violence of the enemy, and I began to fear for my own faith and my children and husband. I began casting all those cares on the Lord and He truly met me and spoke hope and confidence into my heart. While reading the verses that He was speaking to me I came upon this one:

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ..." - 1 Peter 1:6-7 (emphasis added by me)
He answered me!
What is the gold? It is the genuineness of your faith!
Jesus counsels us "rich" Christians to buy His gold. He counsels us to buy the proving of the genuineness of our faith, and this, if need be, comes through the grief of various trials.

Surely, we are only beginning to see the trials we will be grieved by as a nation. May we let go of all we've been holding onto as "riches" and embrace with rejoicing the loving chastisement of our Father that we might be made rich in genuine faith!
Have you ever read Revelation 3:14-22? What does the Lord speak to your heart as you read about the lukewarm church?


Oh, Father, encourage our hearts to trust You! Encourage our hearts to not fight what's out of our control, but to come to you on our knees and buy the gold you offer us, the proving of our genuine faith!

Redeeming the time,

8 comments:

  1. Dear Sheila,

    What a powerful message; what beautiful and encouraging verse!

    Dear God, I pray, let us not be lukewarm, that you will spit thee out of our mouth. Let us be seek after you, desiring to please you and to humbly do your will. Let us see that without you as Lord of our lives, we are wretched, miserable, naked, poor, and blind.

    Dearest Lord, help us to desire this gold refined in fire, that we may be rich; and white garments, that we may be clothed, that the shame of our nakedness may not be revealed. Let us see and know that it is because of your love, that you rebuke and chasten us. Let us be zealous and repent.

    Let us rejoice in the trial of our faith that it may be found to the praise, honor, and glory of Jesus Christ.

    Father, please especially bless Sheila today.

    Amen

    Sheila, your devotion to God is a blessing to us.

    Thank you,
    Ernestine

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  2. Timely post, and once again I see the truth in it.

    Blessings friend...Keep it up :)

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  3. Great words, thank you.

    Was just talking to my husband tonight about these issues. I was telling him about a child in my class who told me a few days ago that he wishes he had more faith, that he is jealous of others who have the ability to just believe the Bible, when he has so many doubts.

    Since I work in a Christian school, I was able to share with him that he really needs to be praying for the gift of faith, that the Holy Spirit drawing him is the only way he will ever have the ability to have true, genuine faith. I'll have to have him read Rev. 3:14-22!

    Blessings to you!

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  4. Jennifer, Praise God for how He's using you in that classroom!

    Sheila

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  5. This passage of Scripture has touched my life so deeply that I wrote a book on it.

    DR. RICK METRICK

    Author of "The Yawning Church" A Survivors Guide for the Church of the 21st Cetury
    http://www.theyawningchurch.com

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  6. Dr. Metrick, I visited your sight. The book sounds like a timely word and much needed. I'll have to get myself a copy!

    Thanks for leaving your comment-
    Sheila

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  7. Thank you for sharing this post - you have clarified even more the verses in Revelation. Ant the post before it - so good. You are a refreshing sister in Christ! You have blessed me yet again!

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  8. FYI

    You mentioned two verses in Revelation 3. I wrote a book on the paragraph in Rev. 3 where it is mentioned called The Yawning Church. Check it out at theyawningchurch.com

    Rick

    ReplyDelete

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