He Will Be like a Refiner’s Fire or a Launderer’s Soap

But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap (Malachi 3:2 NIV).

Do you desire to have God come to you? If yes, think again. Do you really want Him to come to you? You might think why such a question has to be asked.

There is a reason. The reason is that the coming of God to you cannot be neutral. It cannot be without something happening to you. Yes, the nearness of God brings change.

Sometimes that change may not be to your liking. Therefore the need to ask the question, “Do you really want God to come to you?”

The point to be noted is that there can be no meeting between a holy God and sinful man without man being changed to meet Him. For God does not change. And He cannot have a dwelling with man who is full of sin. Therefore when He comes, He changes people.

But this changing is not superficial. It involves the heart of man. He will be like a refiner’s fire. That means there will be intense heat. It will bring out the worst in you and expose it before His light. Will you endure that moment?

That is a time when you will see yourself from God’s eyes. It will be painful. That is because you will suddenly realize how much unworthy things were there in you.

All that will have to be purified and done away with when God comes to you. So the question is, “Do you really want God to come to you?”

Again, He will be like the launderer’s soap. There will be a lot of scrubbing to purify. This is because filth on the inside of the heart leaves its marks on the outside of man too. For sin leaves stains. It cannot be easily rubbed off.

But when God comes to you, He will work on the inside first. The fire does that work. Then He continues His work by removing the stains on the outside.

Then, what was ugly becomes transformed to something beautiful; and what was crooked becomes straight. But this cannot happen without you being willing to have God come to you!

More Manna:

Rehoboth, The Lord Has Given Us Room

The Lord Has Kept the Promise He Made

For I Am Your Servant

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