Is the Heat is Turned Up?

I picked up a pine cone that was long, narrow and tightly closed up. I thought it unique in shape and placed it in my car to take home. The next day was a very hot, summer day. Parked in the sun all day, my car became like an oven. By the time I entered the lot and unlocked my car at the end of my work shift, the pinecone had fully opened. There on the dashboard I found a full, beautiful pinecone that barely resembled the skinny, closed up one I had picked up the day before. After long hours in that hot car, it had tripled in diameter.  Now the rich color that had been hidden within was visible and immediately captured the eye.

The process for a pine cone to open generally takes months of ordinary, warm days to accomplish. Through the rain, sun, heat and cold of average days, a pine cone slowly opens. This process reveals many stages of growth as the cone progresses from the first hints of opening to the full bloom. In the intensity of the oven like interior of my locked tight car, this process was drastically sped up.  The entire transformation occurred in a matter of hours and I witnessed none of the progress.

The seeds of ministry in our life can be very much like a pine cone. In one of the parables, Jesus talks of the daily growth of what God has placed in our hearts. “And He said, The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground, and then continues sleeping and rising night and day while the seed sprouts and grows and increases—he knows not how. The earth produces [acting] by itself—first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe and permits, immediately he sends forth [the reapers] and puts in the sickle, because the harvest stands ready.” (Mark 4:26-29 AMP)  The growth of ministry often follows the course of everyday life. We are prepared for our roles in the body by the trials and victories that quietly take place day by day.

There are other times when God may choose to do a quick work. The preparation required may be as intense as the heat of the furnace. The book of Proverbs addresses this issue. “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tries the hearts.” (Proverbs 17:3 AMP)  “Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth [the material for] a vessel for the silversmith [to work up].” (Proverbs 25:4 AMP)  When in the intense heat of a difficult trial, there is a great deal of discomfort. It is during this time that what is in our hearts, both good and bad, will become evident. The silversmith heats the silver and the imperfections (dross) rise to the surface where he skims them away. He then heats the silver even more. And again skims off the imperfections. When he finishes the process, he has pure silver that is easy to mold. The heart that has been through the furnace is ready to be molded by our heavenly Father. He can then use us as He intends.

We can take courage at whatever stage of life we are in. When we are walking through our daily lives and it appears that God is not doing much in us, we can remember the farmer who knows that the seed is growing unseen. “So be patient, brethren, [as you wait] till the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits expectantly for the precious harvest from the land. [See how] he keeps up his patient [vigil] over it until it receives the early and late rains.” (James 5:7 AMP)  We can continue studying the word, watering our dreams, and pulling weeds that become obvious in our lives. We will grow stage by stage until good fruit is formed and matured.

During the times we feel that we are in the fire and cannot take any more heat, we can remember the three Hebrew slaves, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were thrown into a furnace in Babylon. When King Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace he saw four men instead of three. And when these young men came out of the furnace, they did not even smell the smoke. (See Daniel chapter 3)  You will not be alone in the furnace either. Jesus will be there with you and you also will come out not even smelling smoke. Then you will be as pure silver, ready for the supreme silversmith to mold for His purpose. You will be a blessing to others in need of what has been formed in you.

So if today you feel not much is happening, remember that God is always working behind the scenes. If you feel the pressure and heat are intense, take courage because God is doing a mighty work of preparation in you.  Always walk in expectation, because we walk with a great God!