Opening Prayer
Gracious God, I put myself before you in this moment with waiting heart, expectant desire. Open my eyes that I may see your promise fulfilled; open my ears that I may hear your word whispered to my deepest being.
Amen.
Passage
Malachi 3:1-4
“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.
But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.
Reflection - Dave Pritchard
This beautiful passage starts with a promise from God: He will send the Messiah into their unbelief so they may believe and become His saints in holiness.
He gives us the visual of a refiner of precious metals sitting alongside a crucible, subjecting the metal to a hot fire so it will melt and separate from the dross. At just the right temperature, the pure treasure takes perfect shape in the mold he has prepared.
"A master refiner never leaves the crucible, intently watching the separation process so it will not become even one degree too hot and damage the metal. As soon as he skims the last bit of dross from the surface and sees his reflection in the pure silver or gold, he extinguishes the fire."
- Arthur Tappan Pierson
Pray this prayer: Lord, I want to be purified for the purpose You want to fulfill in me. I gladly reportfor duty this day, excited about the possibilities inherent in Your plan.
Closing Prayer
My Lord, may all that I have seen of you and all that I have heard from your word now enflesh itself in me. Send me from this place as the incarnate promise of life to all whose life I will touch this day.
Amen.