April 28 - Remove The Dross.

Proverbs 25:4-5
“Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.”
 
In order to see the beauty of silver shining, the impurities, or the dross, must be removed. Unrefined metal is contaminated with things that prevent it to be used to its full potential. The fining pot serves a purpose in the metal fulfilling its purpose – it houses the fire that reveals the dross from the silver.
 
Proverbs 17:3
“The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts.”
 
The Lord sees the sin that we refuse to repent of and knows our motives for our acts of service. We cannot hide from Him; He sees it all.
 
Job 34:21-22
“For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.”
 
The dross from the silver represents the sin that pollutes our fellowship with the Lord. The fire reveals it to us, but God sees our sinful hearts before we even step foot in the flames. The fire allows us to see what changes we need to make to be fit for His use.
 
2 Timothy 2:20-21
“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.”
 
The purging of our dross sometimes requires that people be removed from our lives. If we ask the Lord to remove our dross, we may find ourselves lonely for a season. This is part of the process of making us more like Christ. Many times throughout the Scriptures we find Him set apart and alone; yet each time, God used those times to prepare Jesus for what was next in fulfilling His purpose.
 
1 Peter 1:7
“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”
 
Whatever your situation today, allow the Lord to remove the dross from your life in order for you to fulfill the purpose that He has for you – for His glory.
 
 
Bible Reading:
Ruth 3  |  Romans 1  |  Proverbs 28