June 2 - God Refines Us for His Purpose

JUNE 2 - God Refines Us for His Purpose3-Year-Bible Reading: Proverbs 17:3-4; Psalm 63; Exodus 3-4//3-Year Bible (Year 1) Devotional Book Available on Amazon//________________________________________“The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts. An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.” —Proverbs 17:3-4"O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water." —Psalm 63:1________________________________________Have you ever felt like you’re being tested? Like you’re going through tough moments that make you wonder if you’ll ever get through them? Maybe it’s dealing with school stress, a friendship that’s falling apart, or even moments of doubt about who you really are. Proverbs tells us that just like silver and gold are refined in fire, God allows us to be tested to shape our hearts.Psalm 63 shows us what it looks like when we thirst for God, when we’re desperate for Him in our hearts. David, the psalmist, was in a dry and weary place, but he recognized that only God could satisfy him. The same way we feel thirsty when we’re dehydrated, our souls are thirsty for God when we face challenges. But the good news is, He’s there to fill us.In Exodus 3-4, we see how God uses testing to refine Moses. God calls Moses to a big task—to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. But Moses doubts himself, he’s unsure, and he feels unqualified. God’s response? He tells Moses, “I will be with you.” Even though Moses doesn’t feel ready, God knows exactly what he’s capable of because He’s the one who made him. And He’s refining Moses for a purpose far greater than he could imagine.________________________________________THINK ABOUT ITBOTTOM LINEGod allows us to go through testing, just like silver and gold are refined in fire. It’s in these moments that we get to see what we’re really made of and who we’re becoming. Like David, we’re called to thirst for God, to seek Him in the dry moments, and trust that He will fill us. And like Moses, we can trust that when God calls us to something, He will be with us every step of the way.________________________________________PRAYERGod, I know I’m going through tests and struggles in my life right now. It’s hard, and I sometimes feel unqualified or unsure. But I trust that You are refining me and shaping me into who You want me to be. Help me to seek You like David did, to thirst for You even in the hard moments. And when You call me to something big, help me to trust that You’ll be with me every step of the way. Amen.