The Psalm 26:2 prayer reveals the Psalmist's heart after God, a heart willing to submit himself to whatever scrutiny necessary to cleanse his heart from any encumbrance or obstacle that would prevent him from receiving and walking in fullness of what God had for him, but most importantly, anything that would hinder intimacy with God.
The Psalmist asks God to smelt his mind and heart, to smelt every aspect of his knowledge, thinking, reflection, his memory, inclinations, resolutions, determinations of his will, his conscience, his appetites, emotions, and passions. In other words, the Psalmist gives God free access to every area of his heart to smelt as He sees fit.
The ancient process of smelting involved heating ore to the point of melting in order to extract the precious metals. Once the ore was melted, the smelter or refiner would then skim off the dross (the scum or extraneous matter of metals, loosened in the process of melting) from the ore, leaving behind a pure metal, such as silver or gold. If the metal was left too long in the flame, it would be destroyed, therefore the refiner continually kept watch over the flame. The refiner's confirmation of fully refined silver was the ability to see his image reflected in the silver.
In Malachi 3:2, the Lord is compared to a “Refiner’s Fire.” In Malachi 3:3 we discover, “He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.”
The process of divine smelting begins with a heart surrendered to God through faith in Jesus Christ, then as sons and daughters of the Master Refiner, it becomes our hearts’ desire to make ourselves (by His grace) an offering to Him in righteousness. We must allow the Refiner and Purifier of our hearts access to every recess of our hearts for the smelting process to produce the offering of righteousness to the Lord. He is the Master Refiner; the One Who smelts our hearts for His glory. A heart smelted by the divine Refiner reflects His image in a most beautiful way.
The smelting process is designed by a loving, Master Refiner Who is the “Eternal God our Refuge and underneath are His everlasting arms (Deut. 33:27). His purification process stems from a Father’s heart that desires intimacy with His children—the only way to intimacy with Him is to allow Him to clear away the dross that encumbers a sweet, intimate relationship with Him.
Living on this earth, most of us know that each and every day is filled with its challenges and obstacles. Each day has its refining moments. And, most of us know that there are times in our lives, in particular, when those challenges and obstacles seem insurmountable and overwhelming…even crushing. It is a time when the heat is turned up so hot, the melting so complete, that all we can see are the swirls of dross, all we feel is the pain of the heat, and all we smell is the stench of the scum bubbling to the surface of our hearts. It is then that we must remember Hebrews 12:11, "Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." and Romans 5:3-5, "And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."
God is faithful to clear away anything and everything that prohibits that peaceable fruit of righteousness and hope from blossoming in our hearts. As peace, righteousness, and hope flourish in our hearts, we are then able to reflect that peace, hope, and righteousness to others.
God is a wise, loving, and strategic God. He does not smelt our entire heart at once, He, in His perfect timing and wisdom, smelts in a way that heats a certain area (or areas) before He moves on to the other areas of a human heart as not to overwhelm or confuse us. He is ever tender and kind in the process.
If you are walking through the smelting process at this time, know that the Master Smelter is turning up the heat because He loves you. He wants deeper intimacy with you and the only way to that deeper intimacy is to to turn up the heat, skim the dross, all the while, holding you in His everlasting arms (Deut. 33:27).
The results: a pure heart before Him, deeper intimacy with Him, and a life that radiates His righteousness and life...becoming a reflection of His beauty and love to those around us.
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