Refined - Finding Joy in the Midst of the FireSample

This verse from the psalms promises that everyone who takes refuge in the Lord will be the blessed recipients of God’s perpetual and enthusiastic goodness. The phrase, “on those who take refuge in You,” definitively means that when you find yourself in the brilliant habit of fleeing to God for protection during the storms of life, you will most certainly receive His goodness. When you run into His shelter, you have placed yourself in the position of receiving all the good that He has intended for you specifically to receive. If you determine to hide yourself in God while the storms of life are raging, you will discover in that safe place the goodness of God that has been stored up with you in mind! When your world is falling apart, do you run toward God or away from God? Even strong believers are deceived by the lies of the enemy and make poor choices during difficult days of life. If you run toward food, or shopping, or spending, or worry when you are walking through a trial, you will find yourself unable to tap in to the lavish goodness of God. Conversely, however, if, when you find yourself between that infamous rock and a hard place, you determine in your heart that you are going to run toward God with all of your might, then His goodness will be chasing you down! The next time that you find yourself in the intense heat of the fire of affliction, run toward God and not away from God. While the fire is raging and your life is endangered, do not blame God, but bless God! The foolish error that so many men and women of God make while walking through the flames of trials is that they choose to tap in to the false answers of our culture and not in to the wise answers of our God. Make the determined choice that the next time you don’t know what to do, you will worship rather than panic. Make a willful decision that if you find yourself surrounded by the fires of tragedy, you will read the Word of God rather than choose to worry. Continue to use the wisdom of God when your life is falling apart because God’s goodness is always found in wisdom. If you are in a financial hot spot, do not stop tithing or paying your bills. If you are dealing with health issues, obey the orders of your doctor. And in addition to those wise choices, continue to worship and read the Word of God! God’s goodness is on its way!