“He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present offerings to the Lord in righteousness.”
Malachi 3:3 (ESV)
The little shop was quiet except for the hum of fire.
Jon the village silversmith stood there, tongs held steady, holding an awkward piece of metal over the furnace. Jon moved it closer to the glowing heart of the heat and kept watching. Eyes fixed. Steady.
Someone watching asked softly, “How do you know when the silver is ready?”
Without lifting his eyes, the craftsman smiled. “That’s simple,” he said. “When I can see my reflection in it.”
Our Father in heaven does not turn up the heat in our lives for the sake of pain. He watches. He waits. He holds us steady in the fire until everything false melts away…until His image shines back from our lives.
I love Christ’s Bride so much. The closer I draw to the Lord, the larger my heart seems to grow for His people. His empathy fills me. I so long to be a pure stream in these end times. That’s why I feel such a holy call to share truth…not to wound, but to heal.
I want you to know my heart. It doesn’t seek to condemn. These words come slowly, with wet eyes. If I love you…and I truly do…then truth must be spoken, for truth heals what lies cannot. I write under a holy awareness that the Lord Himself will one day weigh every word.
I don’t speak from a mountain above you. I speak from the same ground of mercy that holds us both. I need the cross just as much as anyone. I’ve stumbled. I’ve strayed. And yet, He came for me… the way the Father ran to the prodigal…arms open, heart full, ready to restore.
And oh, the beauty of restoration! It doesn’t just mend; it transforms. You come through the fire refined…stronger, humbler, softer, radiant. That’s the work of His love. Beauty for ashes. Always beauty for ashes.
The Holy Spirit, in His kindness, keeps searching my heart. He reveals what I’d rather hide…not to shame me, but to set me free. When the Lord turns up the heat, it’s not punishment. It’s purification. His refining fire is holy love at work.
Sometimes, truth makes us squirm. It’s easier to hear words that soothe than those that stretch us. But true love doesn’t flatter the flesh; it shapes the soul. We cannot become mature in Christ without letting Him confront what hinders His reflection in us.
Beloved, my heart aches for His Bride…yes, for you.
To glow with His nature.
Comfort never made a saint.
Surrender did.
Let the Word cut deep. Let the Spirit whisper truth.
That’s where transformation starts..
When I write these devotions, I always pray first. I ask the Lord, “Let these words carry Your fragrance.” My hope is that as you read, you’ll forget me entirely and remember only Him. I want you to hear His whisper between every line…gentle, loving, unmistakable.
So picture this, dear one…
We’re sitting together in a quiet living room. A soft fire flickers in the hearth. The light dances across the walls. Outside, the night is cold…but here, it’s warm. You can feel the nearness of His presence in the room.
We’re not rushing. We’re just sitting…heart to heart…talking about the things that matter most. About grace. About truth. About the beauty of letting Him have His way.
That’s what these devotions are meant to be… a fireside conversation for your soul. Words that comfort but also challenge. Words that make you think, weep, and rise again.
Because His love doesn’t leave us as we are. It refines us. It burns away the old so that His glory can shine through the new.
Let His fire do its perfect work. Let His truth reach every hidden place. Let His love transform you, until you bear His likeness in every glance, every word, every step.
That, beloved, is what it means to be refined by love.
When God’s fire draws near, don’t run from it…run into it. For that flame is not your enemy, it’s your making. It’s the warmth that melts away what cannot remain, leaving behind only the gold of His beautiful presence.
With Love,
Steve Porter
www.morningglorydevo.com
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