Is It Hot in Here?

Zechariah 13:9 (English Standard Version)
9And I will put this third into the fire,
and refine them as one refines silver,
and test them as gold is tested.
They will call upon my name,
and I will answer them.
I will say, 'They are my people';
and they will say, 'The LORD is my God.'"

I am learning how painful this can be. And though he clearly told us that this would come, (the testing) I confess that I have been taken by surprise.

Our families are under attack. Divorce rates are through the roof, and higher among "Christians." Husbands and wives are convinced that the grass really is greener "over there" and vacating the sanctity of their marriages for meaningless flings and inflicting devastating damage to their family. Children are losing respect for parents and rebelling in catastrophic ways. Abuse of every depraved type is becoming so common, we barely react or show surprise when we read of another case in the news.

I know this is nothing new, but mostly we think it's an arm's length away. It happens to celebrities, or people in the lime light. Maybe to the couple down the street. Just maybe it happens to someone in the family. But the closer it gets to us personally, the more we search to make it something we can understand, even unconsciously justify. Yet the truth is even as one suffers, we all suffer. This is not true just for the church. It's just especially true for her. We are the bride of Christ.

Many of the families in my circle of friends and church family have entered a season of testing and refining. Some are showing great hope and faith. Praise God! Some are growing stronger by the day. Some are seeing a testimony developing and can already see how they will very soon be in a key position to minister to others.

And there are others. These are convinced this "can't work out." These are convinced that "no one knows." These are believing it "won't happen again" or "go any further." These are the ones I am burdened with. It is no less painful to watch a marriage fall into ruin with a brother and sister in Christ than it is to watch a family member waste away from addiction or disease.

I think of Christ's purification of his bride.
Ephesians 5:25-27

as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

It never occurred to me that the person sitting next to me might be one who will not stand when the testing comes. I never want to think that it might not be me standing when the temptations arise. Yet here it is. Brothers and sisters are getting nailed with lies of the enemy and they are running in agreement. They are standing with the accuser and paying a dear price for it.

I have faith in my Lord. I know that all this will be used to bring him glory. I know that he has a plan and that plan will be fulfilled. But it does not ease the pain of seeing a brother in a pit of his own making, asking how to get out.