Purification Station

Pure... it sounds so nice at the outset, until we recognize that the process of reaching this goal isn't quite so pretty. It involves enduring curses and insults, struggles and difficulties as well as the unfortunate truth about ourselves that we so like to ignore. But, in the end it is worth it... bringing us closer and closer to our Lord. So, we pray... Lord, work in our lives and purify us today.

Curses
2 Samuel 15:1-16:19

"Leave him alone and let him curse me because the Lord told him to do this. Maybe the Lord will see my misery and repay me with something good for Shimei's curses today!" (2 Samuel 16:11-12)

We know the saying, 'It ain't easy being green.' Turns out, it's not easy being king either... especially when you've just accepted the son who murdered your other son back into the kingdom and he repays you by turning your people against you and trying to take over. Oh, Absalom... talk about a problem child. It must've been humiliating running from your own son, evidenced by David's exclamation, "My own son is trying to kill me! This man is a Benjaminite and has more right to kill me!" But, that wasn't enough humiliation apparently. Shimei son of Gera, from Saul's family group, decided to follow David and his officers, curse him and throw stones and dirt at him.

The surprising thing here is David's reaction, "If he is cursing me because the Lord told him to, who can question him?" I don't know about you, but the last time someone criticized me, my reaction wasn't, "Oh, ok... that critique might be a message from God. Let me think that one over a while." But, I think we should. For instance, I've been thinking more about the relationships in my life. While we each know that we love each other deeply, perhaps it's not so apparent to those on the outside... and it's important to really show in all my interactions the great love that we feel for one another: in what I say and don't say, in how I act, in the time that I spend caring for them.

Struggles
Psalm 66:8-15

"God, you have tested us; you have purified us like silver. You let us be trapped and put a heavy load on us. You let our enemies walk on our heads. We went through fire and flood, but you brought us to a place with good things." (Psalm 66:10-12)

Verse 10... how beautiful... God has purified us like silver. Ah, lovely. Thank You, God. But then, wait a minute... how did God purify us? Read on to find out. Trapped? A heavy load? Enemies walking on our heads? Fire and flood? Hmmm... doesn't sound so beautiful any more. All this? To be purified? Is it worth it? Of course it is, and here we have a lovely realistic picture of the process of purification.

And it's necessary... I remember Brad mentioning something that really hit home. "Whatever struggles we go through affects others on some level." We fool ourselves into thinking that we can go through it on our own, that we're not hurting anyone. But in reality, our lives are connected, and in seeking to purify ourselves we can positively impact the lives of those we love. Working towards the purification of our own lives is not only pleasing to God and to ourselves but to those who love us. Though it's often very painful and difficult, it's worth it.

Truth
John 7:1-24

"The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I tell it the evil things it does." (John 7:7)

Jesus, as "the way, the truth and the life," would necessarily come to the world to expose the truth about the world and what is going on. And the world's reaction? Hate. While we might not put it so strongly, we do often get defensive when someone offers us correction. "No. I'm not overbearing. Now, take this to the sink." Sometimes it's so hard to see needs to be changed in our lives that we need others to show us. And Jesus gives us another example here. He knows that the world hates this correction, but it doesn't bother him. He's more concerned with the world than with being 'likeable.' When a close friend needs correction or advice, we need to find the way to speak the truth in love to that person... and set them on their way toward purification.