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Conviction Refined by Fire
Tim Savage11“Whom have you so dreaded and feared
that you have not been true to me,
and have neither remembered me
nor taken this to heart?
Is it not because I have long been silent
that you do not fear me? Isaiah 57
Boy this scripture really jumped out and caught my attention this morning! Is there anyone or anything that I fear more than God? Because sometimes I act like it. There are things that I allow to take precedence over the Lord and I put before Him. I give in to temptations and cravings against God’s will, so I must think that these are more important, more powerful. Is there anything I fear more than God? There should not be! The problem is that I, too often, take Him for granted because I know that He is merciful and gracious. I need a healthy fear of the Lord in order to keep me by His side.
I live in God’s grace and He has abundantly blessed me, unfortunately, the downside is that this easy existence breeds a lackadaisical attitude towards obedience. My conviction has not been refined by fire. Some people have walked through the valley of death and their faith has been proven, others, like me, haven’t been dragged through the thorns. I don’t believe that I need to hit bottom to learn to fear the Lord, but I need to be self-driven and self-motivated to have that same desperate conviction and healthy fear of Him. I really don’t want to experience a crushing loss, a debilitating disease, financial ruin, addiction or any of the other valley type of events in order to find that reckless abandon to follow my Savior, I hope that I can reach that desperation through a life well-lived in the protective arms of my Creator.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the abundant and generous provision and protection You have blessed me and my family with. May I never take it or You for granted. I choose to both fear and love You and put You first in my life.
In Jesus name,
Amen
