Refined or Burned?

For you, God, tested us;

you refined us like silver.

You brought us into prison

and laid burdens on our backs.

You let people ride over our heads;

we went through fire and water,

but you brought us to a place of abundance.

Psalm 66.10-12

Many times we ask God for something and it seems that the answer is being delayed. However, I have learned that God will not give us something, that we do not have the spiritual structure to possess or maintain. For example, If you have a young daughter or son and she comes to you and begins to cry saying she wants to drive the car, what would you do? Would you be moved by her/his tears and let him/her drive? Of course not. Because you know that if you let you child drive, she/he will end up getting killed or seriously injured. But, when your child has the structure to drive, then you will hand over the keys.

There are other situations where God is preparing the right moment to pour down the blessing, but first, he allows the person to be tested. Example:

A person is seeking prosperity and vowing not to put their heart in what they own, but when something comes to their hands, they are not faithful in their tithe because they see that it is too much.

A person vows to put God first in their lives, but when the boyfriend/girlfriend says "It is either me or your God", and the person does not hesitate to reject God, to be with their person.

A person vows to obey God and do His will, but when a situation comes up, the person shuts out the counsel of the Holy Spirit, to do their will.

Every time we are tested we are being placed in the fire, to see who we really are. Because it is in the fire that true silver is refined.

If you were placed in the fire, would you be refined or only burned?

Waiting on the Calendar verses Waiting on God

We always here the phrase "waiting on God". "It will happen not in our time, but in God's time". But what does that mean? Many people do not understand this because they do not wait on God for their financial life, family life, love life, etc. They are counting the seconds on the clock, or crossing out each day on the calendar. When we are waiting on the calendar for an answer or for a prayer to be responded, the person feels frustrated, anxious, etc.

This is common because we live in a world that revolves around time. There has to be a time where you have to get a job because your not a child anymore. There is a time where a woman feels she needs to get married because everyone around her is already married and she feels that she is getting too old. The world makes you feel that if you do not have something by or certain age or accomplish something by a certain time, then you are a failure or you will not be happy, etc.

But when the person waits on God for an answer, the person is not worried. Time is going by, months or even years can pass by, but the person is calm, with the conviction that God will bless at the right moment. God, Himself, comes and comforts you while you wait for that answer. If it is a need in your love life for example, He comes and fills that need until it is His time, to place the right person in your life.

But Claudia, how do I know if I am waiting on the calendar or waiting on God? How do I wait on God? The answer is simple: trust in Him. When we wait on God, we surrender our needs to Him and focus on Him. When we focus on Him, in pleasing Him, and doing His will, He gives attention and answers that need. Your problem now becomes His problem.

Those who are in the faith, see time as an opportunity. An opportunity to use this time to grow, to mature, to invest in yourself. But those who are of the world, see time as a barrier.

My friend, trust in God. If you place your trust in Him, He will consume all anxiety, all worry, and fill you with the conviction that He will bless you.